MATHEMATICAL SECTION. 129 
conditions the total of his contributions to science appears small, 
we should bear in mind that any contribution under such circum- 
stances is exceptional. And to have been able, therefore, to make 
even a single contribution to human knowledge is to have done that 
which few men in any generation do and that of which any one of 
us might well be proud. 
General Alvord early became interested in the problem of tan- 
gencies and intersections of circles, and his chief mathematical 
work and fame rests on his complete and purely geometrical solu- 
tion of the various problems relating to this subject. His chief 
writings on this subject consist of the paper on Tangencies, in the 
Smithsonian Contributions in 1856; the article on Tangencies, in 
Johnson’s New Universal Cyclopedia; and the paper on intersec- 
tions, in the American Journal of Mathematics, March, 1882. 
The memorial was adopted, and the Secretary was instructed to 
send a copy of it to the family of the deceased. 
Note. 
The following members have assisted the Chairman and Secre- 
tary in the examination of abstracts of communications to the 
Mathematical Section : 
Title. Author. Third Member. 
The Problem of the Knight’s Tour. G. K. GiLBErt. E. B. Evxiort. 
Formule for Diminution of Ampli- 
sudevror 2 Pendulum. --—..-.2-.-. H. FarQuHar. A. 8S. CHRISTIE. 
The Formule for Computing the 
Position of a Satellite-__.___..-- A. Hatt. C. H. KUMMELL. 
The Quadric Transformation of El- 
Inptic Inteerals 222622 21._5 C.H. Kummetn. G. W. Hit. 
The Verification of Predictions....0M.H.Doouitrytz. M. Baker. 
