296 LIGHT SCIENCE FOR LEISURE HOURS. 



the problem of the quadrature of the circle can be 

 readily solved. There is a curve, for instance, invented 

 by Dinostratus, which can readily be described mecha- 

 nically, and has been called the quadratrix of Dino- 

 stratus, because it has the property of thus solving the 

 problem we are dealing with. 



As such curves can be described with quite as 

 much accuracy as the circle for, be it remembered, 

 an absolutely perfect circle has never yet been drawn 

 we see that it is only the limitations which geometers 

 have themselves invented that give this problem its 

 difficulty. Its solution has, as I have said, no value ; 

 and no mathematician would ever think of wasting a 

 moment over the problem for this reason, simply, that 

 it has long since been demonstrated to be insoluble by 

 simple geometrical methods. So that, when a man says 

 he has squared the circle (and many will say so, if one 

 will only give them a hearing), he shows that either he 

 wholly misunderstands the nature of the problem, or 

 that his ignorance of mathematics has led him to 

 mistake a faulty for a true solution. 



(From Chambers'* Journal, January 16, 1869.) 



