[ARCHIBALD] MATHEMATICAL INSTRUCTION IN FRANCE 111 
iS°—— Mécanique rationnelle 25. .:s6 dane he ee eee Cartan. 
I and II Semesters.—60 conferences of 1 hour. 
JANICE Ov Sea SEIN se te AA cg ARR ea YR cps RES os a PER RE Blutel. 
I Semester.—30 lectures of 1 hour. 
19° Exercices de mathématiques générales ................ Garnier 
I Semester.—20 conferences of 1 hour. 
Travaux pratiques de mathématiques générales ........ Cartan. 
II Semester.—15 conferences of 1 hour. 
pe ene LÉ ÉTAIT ecm lect <n iin wee tee er Leduc. 
I and II Semesters.—45 conferences of 1 hour. 
Cartan is a maitre de conférence, and Blutel (professor of mathem- 
atics at lycée Saint Louis), Garnier (collaborator on the French edition 
of the Encyklopüdie der Math. Wissenschaften), and Servant, are chargés 
de conférences. Unlike the organization at the Collége de France 
and in German universities where no examinations enter to disturb the 
serene atmosphere, one of the chief functions of French universities is 
to provide means for preparing students for two state examinations, 
the licence and the agrégation. These examinations (but especially 
the agrégation), demand that exceedingly comprehensive instruction 
shall each year be given in a large number of special subjects. To this 
end most of the professors devote themselves. As a consequence there 
is a great sameness in the courses offered at the different universities 
from year to year and Lyons is about the only one outside of Paris 
which attempts to do more than meet the state requirements.! At 
the Sorbonne there is little annual variation in two-thirds of the main 
courses; these are 3°, 4°, 7°, 8°, 9°, 10°, 11°, 12°. An outgrowth of 
them is a remarkable series of elegant treatises. But Borel, Darboux, 
Picard and Poincaré make frequent changes in the subjects on which 
they lecture. We remark, that no professor gives more than one course 
(two lectures per week), except in the four cases of those who direct con- 
ferences and travaux pratiques; also that Darboux, Picard, Poincaré, 
Andoyer, Bouty, Lippmann, only lecture during one semester.” The 
maitres de conférences or chargés de conférences do not give new 
courses and treat of subjects in which they are especially informed as 
do the Privat-docenten in German universities. But their instruction, 
as well as that of all others who direct cours fermés, is supplementary 
to the work of those holding the chaires magistrales. Thus 13° sup- 
plements Darboux’s course—14° supplements 3° and 4°—15° and 7° go 
together—so also 16°, 17° and 9°—18° and 10°—19° and 11°—20° and 


! Compare Appendix B. 
Most of Borel’s work is at the Ecole Normale Supérieure, which is part of the 
Université de Paris. 
