REPORT ON CERTAIN BRANCHES OF ANALYSIS. 285 



tion with the late Professor Vince, undertook the pubUcation 

 of a series of elementary works on analysis, and on the appli- 

 cation of mathematics to difterent branches of natural philo- 

 sophy, principally with a view to the benefit of students at the 

 Universities. The works of the latter of these two writers have 

 already fallen into very general neglect, in consequence partly 

 of their want of elegance, and partly in consequence of their 

 total unfitness to teach the more modern and improved forms 

 of those different branches of science. But the works of his 

 colleague in this undertaking have continued to inci'ease in 

 circulation, and are likely to exercise for many years a consi- 

 derable influence upon our national system of education ; for 

 they possess in a very eminent degree the great requisites of 

 simplicity and elegance, both in their composition and in their 

 design. The propositions are clearly stated and demonstrated, 

 and are not incumbered with unnecessary explanations and 

 illustrations. There is no attempt to bring prominently forwai-d 

 the peculiar views and researches of the author, and the dif- 

 ferent parts of the subjects discussed are made to bear a proper 

 subordination to each other. It is the union of all these qua- 

 lities which has given to his works, and particularly to his 

 Algebra, so great a degree of popularity, and which has se- 

 cured, and is likely to continue to secure, their adoption as 

 text-books for lectures and instruction, notwithstanding the 

 absence of very profound and philosophical views of the first 

 principles, and their want of adaptation, in many important 

 particulars, to the methods which have been followed by the 

 great continental writers. 



In later times a great number of elementary works on algebra, 

 possessing various degrees of merit, have been published. 

 Those, however, which have been written for purposes of in- 

 struction only, without any reference to the advancement of 

 new views, either of the principles of the science, or to the ex- 

 tension of its applications, have generally failed in those great 

 and essential requisites of simplicity, and of adequate, but not 

 excessive, illustration, for which the work of Dr. Wood is so 

 remarkably distinguished ; whilst other works, which have pos- 

 sessed a more ambitious character, have been generally devoted 

 too exclusively to the developement of some peculiar views of 

 their authors, and have consequently not been entitled to be 

 generally adopted as text-books in a system of academical or 

 national education. There are, however, many private reasons 

 which should prevent the author of this Report from enlarging 

 upon this part of his subject, who is too conscious that there 

 are few defects which he could presume to charge upon the 



