STUDY OP THE MODERN ANALYSIS. jr 



III. 



Inquiry concerning the Means of studying tke 3Iodern Ana- 

 lysis. In a letter Jrom a Correspondent. 



To W. NICHOLSON, Esq. 

 SIR, 



jr\S the object of your excellent Journal is the diffusion of What books, 



scientific knowledge among all classes, I am sure you will f re " ece5SaI 7 



c . . to 'he study or 



not deem the present queries out of place; and if you will the modem 



have the goodness to reply to them either by private com- analy31s? 

 munication, or through the medium of your publication, 

 you will confer an obligation not merely on the individual 

 v/ho addresses you, but upon many others in the same cir- 

 cumstances as myself. 



The object of my inquiry is this; — What elementary 

 works should be perused by a person who wishes to become 

 acquainted with what is usually termed " the modern 

 analysis" ? That one who resides in a Mathematical Univer- 

 sity should put this question may appear strange; but it is 

 well known by mauy, who, like myself, have devoted a con- 

 siderable portion of time to the study of mathematics ac- 

 cording to the system adopted in this university, — that so 

 little attention is paid to the modem language of science, 

 that the most admired works of the foreign Mathematicians 

 are a dead letter even to many of those, who are sufficiently 

 familiar with the works of Newton and the ablest English 

 philosophers. — Suppose then that a person is tolerably ac- 

 quainted with pure Geometry, and with the fiuxional cal- 

 culus, what course of reading should he pursue, in order to 

 qualify himself for the perusal of La Place's 31ecqnique 

 Celeste ? 



As these observations are addressed to you by one who is 

 an enthusiast in mathematical studies, but who knows of na 

 other means of getting satisfactory information upon the 

 subject of his inquiry, than that which he has adopted, ao. 

 early reply would be -extremely acceptable. 



A. H.Z. 



Vol. XXXII — May, 1813. C drawer. 



