( '^ix ) 
MINUTES OF PEOCEEDINGS 
OF THE 
ROYAL SOCIETY OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
Ordinary Monthly Meeting. 
March 15, 1911. 
The Vice-President, Dr. H. H. W. Pearson, in the Chair. ' 
Nominations : — 
F. T. E. Dreyer, M.A., Ph.D., Cape Town, by C. Lounsbury and 
G. K. Brain ; Sir Kendal Franks, Johannesburg, by J. Mom and 
E. T. A. Innes ; J. de Fenton, Johannesburg, by E. T. A. Innes 
and J. MoiR ; A. D. Lewis, Cape Town, by L. Peringuey and E. M. 
Lightfoot; The Hon. P. Methuen, Pretoria, by J. W. B. Gunning and 
C. J. SwiERSTRA ; Eev. N. Egberts, Eietfontein, by J. W. B. Gunning and 
C. J. SwiERSTRA ; H. E. Wood, M.Sc, Johannesburg, by E. T. A. Innes 
and L. Peringuey ; E. H. L. Gorges, by S. S. Hough and L. Peringuey ; 
Hon. J. C. Smuts, by S. S. Hough and L. Peringuey ; C. L. Legat, by 
A. Theiler and W. H. Andrews ; W. A. Tucker, by L. Peringuey and 
J. C. Beattie. 
The Vice-President gave notice that the Anniversary Meeting for the 
election of Council and officers would be held on April 19, 1911. 
Communications : — 
Sylvester's and other Unisignants," by Dr. Thos. Muir. 
Unisignant is the name given to a peculiar class of multilinear 
functions which though expressible as determinants are quite unlike the 
latter functions in their properties, having, for example, in their final 
development nothing but positive terms. Probably the first instance of 
such a function was observed by Sylvester. The object of the present 
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