ADVISORY committee; on mathematics 233 



ganic expression in the American Mathematical Society. This so- 

 ciety, organized in 1889 as the New York Mathematical Society, 

 rapidl}^ became in fact a national society, and was recognized in 

 1893 ^s the American Mathematical Society. It embraces in its 

 membership, almost without exception, every working mathemati- 

 cian in this country and also a number of European mathematicians. 

 The policy of its management has been one of consideration for all 

 phases of mathematical activity. Its Bulletm was published from 

 the beginning as a monthly journal of historical and critical char- 

 acter. In 1900 publication of the Transactions of the society was 

 begun, a group of ten universities temporarily supporting the so- 

 ciety in the financial burden. With the beginning of the publica- 

 tion of the Transactions the society has undertaken to complete its 

 library and transform it into a valuable circulating library, available 

 for the use of its members and all other mathematicians. 



The activities of the society are set forth in more detail in the 

 subjoined letter from its secretary. In our judgment, any addi- 

 tional income which may come to the American Mathematical 

 Society by way of subvention from the Carnegie Institution will 

 be well used by the society to promote mathematical research in 

 America. We recommend in particular that for a term of years 

 ^1,000 annually be granted to the society for the purpose of con- 

 verting its library into a thoroughly good collection of books and 

 models, to be placed unreservedly at the service of the working 

 mathematicians of the country. 



American Journals of Research in Mathematics. — Many leading 

 mathematical journals of Europe receive subventions from govern- 

 ment sources. We recommend that there be granted subventions 

 to the following journals of this country : 



Per annum 



American Journal of Mathematics |i,ooo 



Transactions of the American Mathematical Society 1,000 



Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society 500 



Annals of Mathematics 500 



These four journals are most powerfully promoting the interests 

 of mathematics in this country, and they would be enabled to become 

 still more valuable factors by the receipt of such subventions. 



The very considerable labor of editing these journals, as things 

 stand, falls upon men who as leaders in research have become promi- 

 nent in the great universities — that is, upon men whose energies are 

 already heavily taxed. 



