1905-6.] Library Aids to Mathematical Research. 
55 
“ Subject Catalogue” pp. 112-194, the last seven pages being taken 
up with a list of serials and the first 45 pages with the schedule 
of classification and an index to it, both printed in four languages. 
Such, then, is in brief the story of the cataloguing of mathe- 
matical writings during the last half century. The net result is 
seen to be (1) the production of two huge works of reference 
dealing with what we may call bygone literature, that is to say, 
in the main the literature of the nineteenth century ; * (2) the 
establishment of three annuals dealing with what we may call 
current literature, and aiming, all of them, at giving a methodically 
arranged list of the whole of each year’s literature within a 
comparatively short time of its appearance.' With this in 
evidence, who shall say that the mathematician is 'uncared for by 
bibliographers, cataloguers, and index-makers ?' The simple truth 
is, he is overburdened by their labours ; for, whereas either of the 
two former works and any one of the three latter, if complete, 
would suffice for his wants, he is compelled to use all of them if 
only as a means of detecting their several errors and omissions. 
(3) This being the state of matters • as regards “books about 
books,” our next inquiry naturally is, What is the situation as 
regards “books” themselves? Have the librarians and library 
managers successfully coped with the difficulties on their .side ? 
The mathematician who has turned up the Jahrbuch , the Revue , 
and the International A, and culled from them an array of 
“ references,” proceeds to realise the references at the counter of 
his library, and what is the result ? 
To obtain something like a definite answer to this, the following 
course has been adopted : — First of all, the field of inquiry was 
narrowed down to practicable dimensions. To have tabulated all 
the works referred to in these two dictionaries and three current 
year-books would have been an overwhelming task : if we restrict 
ourselves to mathematical serials, the work becomes quite 
manageable. That is what has been done ; and in order to make 
* A third venture might here have been referred to, namely, the Repertoire 
Mbliogrciphique des sciences mathematiques , a card catalogue following the 
system of classification adopted by the Revue. Between 1894 and 1905 fifteen 
hundred cards have been sent out, and the present rate of issue is only one 
hundred cards per year. 
