to the Method of Least Squares. 153 



number of pages is noted wlienever I liave been able to ascertain it. 

 When a single chapter only of a book relates to the subject, the 

 title of that chapter is treated like a memoir. 



After the title of a memoir is placed in italics the title of the 

 volume containing it. This is abridged in the usual manner, but the 

 words of the title are never transposed. For instance. Bulletin des 

 Sciences de la Societe PJiilomathlque de Paris is abridged into Bull. 

 Soc. Philom. Paris. In a few instances I have added the place of 

 publication or have prefixed the name of the editor in order to ensure 

 ])erfect clearness. Tlie number of the volume and the pages which 

 are devoted to the memoir are given; the mention of the year renders 

 it unnecessary to note the varioiis series. 



When the work was begun it was intended to make the notes very 

 full so as to give a tolerably complete history of the Method of Least 

 Squares. But as the number of titles began to multiply under 

 research it became evident that the plan would produce a manuscript 

 too voluminous foi- publication. The notes were hence abbreviated 

 into their present form. The work liegun as historical has, I am 

 afraid, ended by being largely bibliographical. 



Sometimes the notes give an account of the contents of a memoir 

 or an estimate of its value ; sometimes they take the form of a direct 

 quotation from the memoir itself or state the opinion of some subse- 

 quent reviewer ; and occasionally they offer critical remarks of my 

 own. But always they aim to give such cross references as will 

 enable the student to follow up special lines of investigation and gain 

 the fullest information concerning a particular memoir or book. Brief 

 as the notes are, I hope they will be found at least suggestive by 

 those who use them. To the future historians of mathematical sci- 

 ence they Avill undoubtedly be of very great value. 



The mode of cross reference usually adopted is to mention simply 

 the year and author. Thus " 1818 Bessel" refers either to a book 

 published in 1818 by Bessel or to notes under that heading. 



The following table points out some of the most valuable papers 

 on the proofs of the Method of Least Squares : 



First publication of the Method see 1805 Legendre. 



First and Second Proofs 1808 Adeain. 



ThirdProof 1809 Qauss. 



Fourth Proof --. 1810 Laplace. 



Fifth Proof 1812 Laplace. 



Theory and Practice compared 1818 Bessel. 



Sixth Proof 1823 Gauss. 



Trans. Conn. Acad., Vol. IV. 20 Oct., 187*7. 



