1903 - 4 .] Dr Muir on the Theory of Continuants. 
155 
and (3) that the cofactor of ( - a r ){ - a s )( - a t ) . . . . when no 
two of the a’s are consecutive and their number is p, is 
1 1 
0 1 1 
0 1 1 
1 0 0 
0 1 1 
0 1 1 
1 0 0 
0 1 1 
0 1 1 
0 1 
i.e. 
1 1 
1 0 
i.e. (- 1 y, 
and that, therefore, the cofactor of a r a s a t ... in this case is + 1. 
In exactly similar fashion by partitioning N Ki)J into terms which 
contain - a s and terms which do not, he finds 
a A .D s , 
-Nfc.ra — Do 
where 
D„ = 
- a. 
1 1 
0 
1 
- a n 
1 1 
1 1 
-a k 1 1 
— CK S+1 1 1 
— a s _. 2 1 1 
- CL n _ x 1 1 
- a s _ x 1 
-a n 1 
— ^, S -l * -N" s 
