436 PRIZE QUESTIONS. 



PRIZE QUESTIONS 



PEOPOSED IN I8G2 BY THE ROYAL DANISH SOCIETY OF SCIENCES. 

 MATHEMATICAL CLASS. 



The meridian observations of small stars from the seventh to the tenth mag- 

 nitude, made by the roy;^l astronomer, Nevel Maskelyne, during a succession 

 of years, but chiefly in 1767-'G8, would seem not a little calculated, if vigor- 

 ously reduced, to extend the catalogues of stars ; and as it cannot be doubted 

 that, from their antiquity and the scrupulous care in making them, these obser- 

 vations might be of no small utility to a knowledge of the lixed stars, the so- 

 ciety offers its gold medal to any one who shall accurately reduce them, so that 

 the mean places thence resulting, for any particular period, may be catalogued 

 and compared with the positions since assigned by Lalande, Bessel, and Arge- 

 lander, or with those derived from any other accessible source. 



PHYSICAL CLASS. 



With the re-agents which we now habitually employ, it is often not practica- 

 ble to detect with sufficient accuracy and certainty sugar, dextrine, gum, and 

 starch, especially when a small portion of one or more of these bodies is mixed 

 with other organic substances. But as it is in many cases of no little conse- 

 ([ucnce to have subtle and suitable re-agents for distinguishing the bodies above 

 namc'd, the society propounds the question : By what method can it be certainly 

 decided whether or not sugar, dextrine and starch exist in the fluids and tissues 

 of animals 1 



HISTORICAL CLASS. 



Although the ten books on architecture, usually ascribed to Marcus Vitruvi- 

 ous Pollio, are commonly referred, upon external testimony, to tlie age of the 

 Emperor Augustus, yet, whether we regard delicacy of art and dexterity of 

 construction, or knowledge of letters and style of composition, they seem not to 

 belong to that golden era. Since the objections advanced on this subject have 

 never been satisfactorily examined, nor is the authority which should be con- 

 ceded to the laws and rules of building prescribed in these books altogether ex- 

 empt from doubt, the society desires that accurate inquiry should be made, re- 

 specting the age of this Avriter and his sources of information. 



In the discussion of the above questions the Latin, French, English, German, 

 Swedish, or Danish language may be used at pleasure. Communications must 

 not be signed with the name of the author, but denoted by some token, and 

 accompanied by a sealed note containing the same token, and indicating the 

 writer's name, style, and place of residence. Competition is not open to the 

 associates of the society inhabiting the Danish dominions. As a prize, the 

 gold medal of the society, equal in value to fifty Danish ducats, will be 

 award(;d to the candidate who shall satisfactorily answer any of the questions, 

 except in cases where some other premium is designated. 



Answers must be consigned, before the end of October, 1863, to George 

 Forchhammer, corresponding secretary of the society. 



