MATHEMATICAL SECTION. 63 
The notion of an infinite attraction exerted by a finite mass has 
thus been dispelled in two special cases in which it seemed to have 
been proved, and I add some remarks on its general impossibility. 
The attraction of a mass element on a particle at distance p is 
dx dy dz 
me ——— 
, i 
This is then an infinitesimal of the third order, and the summa- 
tion of its components with respect to a fixed direction requires 
three integrations, which give surely a finite result if p is always 
finite. 
If p is infinitesimal there will be one element of attraction, which, 
instead of being of the third order, is only of the first order of in- 
finitesimals, and this one element being added to the finite sum of 
the other elements has no effect. Hence I conclude that a finite 
mass exerts only a finite attraction on a particle. 
The paper was discussed by Messrs. Hati, HiLy, and Woop- 
warp. Mr. Woopwarp said that he had arrived at a result simi- 
lar to Mr. Kummell’s by a somewhat different route. The fallacy 
in Price’s Calculus arose from neglecting the thickness of the plate. 
Nore. 
The communications and abstracts printed in the proceedings of 
the Mathematical Section have each been examined by a special 
committee consisting of the Chairman, the Secretary, and a third 
member appointed by the Chairman. These third members were 
as follows: 
Title. Author. Third Member. 
Physical observations of Wolf’s comet-W. C. Winlock, — — — 
The Theory of Mercury_---____-_____G. L. Ravené. E. B. Elliott. 
A group of circles related to Feuer- 
ee SG C1TC1O a Marcus Baker. C. H..Kummell. 
Some practical features of a time de- 
FOLIATION soso ne eae —R.S. Woodward. H. Farquhar. 
Can the attraction of a finite mass be 
MOH ILE Me eee ee ko Oe Kummells,. Rt on Woodward: 
