100 HISTORY OF GALVANISM. 



gave a relation between these two quantities e ; and 

 as the power was naturally, and, as it afterwards 

 appeared, rightly, conjectured to be the inverse 

 square, the other quantity also was determined ; 

 and the general problem of electrodynamical action 

 was fully solved. 



If Ampere had not been an accomplished ana- 

 lyst, he would not have been able to discover the 

 condition on which the nullity of the integral in 

 this case depended 3 . And throughout his labours, 

 we find reason to admire, both his mathematical 

 , skill, and his steadiness of thought ; although these 

 excellencies are by no means accompanied through- 

 out with corresponding clearness and elegance of 

 exposition in his writings. 



Reception of Ampere's Theory. Clear mathe- 

 matical conceptions, and some familiarity with ma- 

 thematical operations, were needed by readers also, 

 in order to appreciate the evidence of the theory ; 

 and, therefore, we need not feel any surprize if it 

 was, on its publication and establishment, hailed 

 with far less enthusiasm than so remarkable a tri- 

 umph of generalizing power might appear to de- 

 serve. For some time, indeed, the greater portion 

 of the public were naturally held in suspense by 

 the opposing weight of rival names. The Amperian 

 theory did not make its way without contention 

 and competition. The electro-magnetic experiments, 



2 Communication to the Acad. Sc., June 10, 1822. See Ampere, 

 Ilccucll, p. 292. 3 Rccueil, p. 314. 



