February 10, 1905.] 



SCIENCE. 



211 



gan publication. This journal was of a 

 somewhat less ambitious character than the 

 American Journal of Mathematics. It is 

 interesting to note in connection with it 

 that to a considerable extent its pages were 

 given to papers on applied mathematics. 

 In 1899 the Annals passed into the edi- 

 torial control of the Mathematical Depart- 

 ment of Harvard University. Since that 

 time it has been largely expository or 

 didactic. It has not sought to publish 

 new investigations of an extended char- 

 acter, although it has not hesitated to 

 publish brief papers announcing new re- 

 sults. 



Let us now turn to a brief review of the 

 history of the society which brings us to- 

 gether on this occasion. 



At a meeting held November 24, 1888, 

 six members of the department of mathe- 

 matics of Columbia University formed a 

 society, Avhich was to meet monthly for the 

 purpose of discussing mathematical topics 

 and reading papers of mathematical in- 

 terest. At the meeting held a month later 

 they resolved to call their society the New 

 York Mathematical Society and to invite 

 the cooperation of all persons living in or 

 near New York city who might be pro- 

 fessionally interested in mathematics. By 

 the end of the year 1889 the membership of 

 the society had increased to sixteen. By 

 the end of 1890 it had increased to twenty- 

 two. 



At the meeting held in December, 1890, 

 the first president of the society. Professor 

 J. H. Van Amringe, retired from office, 

 and Dr. Emory McClintock was elected his 

 successor. At the same meeting it was 

 proposed that the society publish a mathe- 

 matical bulletin. The officers of the so- 

 ciety a month later made a report in which 

 they recommended that the bulletin, if 

 established, should not seek to enter into 

 competition with existing mathematical 

 journals, but that it should be devoted 



primarily to historical and critical articles, 

 accounts of advances in different branches 

 of mathematics, reviews of important new 

 publications, and general mathematical 

 news and intelligence. They showed at 

 the same time that the expense connected 

 with such a publication would necessitate 

 an extension of the membership of the so- 

 ciety together with an increase in the an- 

 nual dues. It was suggested, accordingly, 

 that a general circular be issued, describing 

 the aims of the society and inviting suit- 

 able persons to become members. 



After hearing the report, the society 

 authorized the secretary to undertake a 

 preliminary correspondence with a few of 

 the principal mathematicians of the coun- 

 try with a view to determining whether 

 their favor and assistance might be secured 

 for the proposed enterprise. A month 

 later the secretary reported that he had 

 received favorable responses from Pro- 

 fessor Simon Newcomb, Professor W. Wool- 

 sey Johnson, Professor Thomas Craig and 

 Professor H. B. Fine. As a result of these 

 favorable responses the society decided to 

 approve and adopt the plan recommended 

 by the officers of the society for the ex- 

 tension of its membership and for the pub- 

 lication of a historical and critical review 

 of pure and applied mathematics. A 

 circular letter of invitation such as had 

 been recommended was issued shortly there- 

 after. The proposals which it contained 

 seemed to meet with general favor, and by 

 June, 1891, the membership of the society 

 had increased to one hundred and seventy- 

 four. The first number of the Bulletin 

 was issued in October, 1891. Its appear- 

 ance seemed to increase the interest already 

 excited, and by the summer of 1892 the 

 membership of the society had risen to two 

 hundred and twenty-seven. 



Professor Klein and Professor Study, 

 who visited the United States in 1893 for 

 the purpose of attending the International 



