Remarks on Several Subjects. 133 
a perfect circle, as may easily be perceived from what is 
proved in Lib. 3. Prop. 30—33. of Newion’s Pr ne pra. 
Moreover the method he has proposed, to account for the Pre- 
cession. is liable to the objection, that it would cause an ap- 
parent relative motion among the fixed stars, by which they 
would appear to approach to, or recede from, each other, 
of otherwise vary their apparent places inthe heavens; but 
the Precession produces no such effect, it leaves the rela- 
tive positions of the fixed stars wholly unchanged, but alters 
the point of the ecliptic, or rather the circle of latitude from 
which the longitudes are counted, giving to that circle a 
small annual motion ; it being more convenient to begin the 
computation of the longitude upon the ecliptic, from the 
moveable line of intersection of the equator and ecliptic, 
than from any jixed point, which in fact could not easily be 
obtained, since all the fixed stars, as they are usually called, 
are supposed to have a proper motion; and it is highly 
probable that the solar system partakes of a similar motion. 
Other objections might be made, but what has already 
been said, will suffice to point out the chief defects of this 
theory. 
Boston, April 16,1824. B. 
3. Remarks on the paper on the Maxima and Minima of 
functions of two variable quantities, published in Vol. 5, of 
this Journal, by the late Provessor Fisuen. 
By means of a particular theorem, Professor Fisher bas 
solved a number of problems relative to the maxima and 
minima of functions of two variable quantities, with much 
ease and elegance ; but it will appear, upon examination, 
that all these problems depend on functions usually called 
homogeneous, and by the substitutions generally made for the 
reduction of such functions, we may obtain the same solu- 
tions, by a more general method, embracing amuch greater 
number of cases, using merely the common forms of substi- 
tution and reduction of algebraic quantities, without the in- 
tervention of any new geometrical principle or theorem. 
The problems treated of by Professor Fisher are of this 
kind. and v are supposed to be functions of the variable 
