SCIENCE 



A WEEKLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE, PUBLISHING THE 



OFFICIAL NOTICES AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION 



FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. 



Friday, July 31, 1908 

 coisitents 



The Teaching of Mathematics for Engineers: 

 Chas. F. Scott 129 



Th3 Point of View in Teaching Engineering 

 Mathematics: President R. S. Woodwaed 134 



The Chicago Academy of Sciences: Frank C. 

 Baker 138 



The Lloyd Library and Museum 141 



Lehigh University and the University of 

 Liverpool 141 



Scientific Notes and News 142 



University and Educational News 145 



Discussion and Correspondence: — 



Meaming of the Spanish Word Oavilan: 

 De. C. Hart Mebeiam 147 



Quotations : — 

 Professors' Salaries 147 



Scientific Books: — 



Spencer on The Falls of Niagara: Dk. G. 

 K. Gilbert. Yerkes's The Dancing Mouse: 

 Professor John B. Watson 148 



Special Articles: — 



The Essential Meaning of d'Alemhert's 

 Principle: PEorESSOE Feederick Slate. 

 Some Apple Leaf -spot Fungi: Dr. Carl P. 

 Hartley. A Cycad from the Upper Cre- 

 taceous in Maverick County, Texas: Pro- 

 fessor J. A. Udden 154 



Societies and Academies: — 



The Torrey Botanical Club : Peofessor C. 

 Stuart Gagee 160 



MSS. intended for publicatioa and books, etc., intended for 

 review should be sent to the Editor of Science, Garrison-on- 

 Hudson, N. Y., or during the present summer to Wood's Hole, 

 Mass. 



THE TEACHING OF MATHEMATICS FOB 

 ENGINEERS ^ 



Mathematics, from the standpoint of 

 the engineer, is a means, and not an end. 

 It is an instrument or tool by which he may 

 determine the value and relations of forces 

 and materials. 



The usefulness of tools depends upon 

 the sort of work which is to be done, upon 

 the kinds of tools which are available anti 

 upon the skill of the man who uses them. 

 "VVe may inquire, therefore, what are the 

 uses to which the engineer may apply 

 mathematics? What kind of mathematics 

 does he need? And what skill should he 

 possess in their use? 



First, then, what work is to be done by 

 the young men who are now taking engi- 

 neering courses? A few— and only a few 

 —will be original investigators or de- 

 signers who will need mathematics as an 

 instrument of research. A considerable 

 number will regularly employ elementary 

 mathematics in more or less routine cal- 

 culations. Many will have little use for 

 mathematics, as engineering courses are 

 recognized as affording excellent training 

 for various business, executive and other 

 non-technical positions, particularly in con- 

 nection with manufacturing and operating 

 companies. It has been stated by the vice- 

 president of a large electric manufacturing 

 company that not over ten per cent, of 

 the technical graduates employed by that 

 '■ Read before Sections A and D of the American 

 Association for the Advancement of Science and 

 the Chicago Section of the American Mathemat- 

 ical Society, at the Chicago meeting, December 

 30, 1907. 



