DOCSLIB.ORG

Mathematics Is a Gentleman's Art: Analysis and Synthesis in American College Geometry Teaching, 1790-1840 Amy K

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Mathematics Is a Gentleman's Art: Analysis and Synthesis in American College Geometry Teaching, 1790-1840 Amy K Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 2000 Mathematics is a gentleman's art: Analysis and synthesis in American college geometry teaching, 1790-1840 Amy K. Ackerberg-Hastings Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Higher Education and Teaching Commons, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Commons, and the Science and Mathematics Education Commons Recommended Citation Ackerberg-Hastings, Amy K., "Mathematics is a gentleman's art: Analysis and synthesis in American college geometry teaching, 1790-1840 " (2000). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 12669. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/12669 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margwis, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. in the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to t>e removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawir^gs, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overiaps. Photographs included in the original manuscript have t>een reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6' x 9' t>lack and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directiy to order. Bell & Howell Information and Learning 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 USA 800-521-0600 Mathematics is a gentleman's art: Analysis and synthesis in American college geometry teaching, 1790-1840 by Amy K. Ackerberg-Hastings A dissertation submitted to the graduate faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Major: History of Technology and Science Major Professor: David B. Wilson Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 2000 Copyright © Amy K. Ackerberg-Hastings, 2000. All rights reserved. UMI Number 9977308 Copyright 2000 by Ackert)erg-Hastings, Amy K. All rights reserved. (Sf UMI UMI Microform9977308 Copyright 2000 by Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. Bell & Howell Information and Leaming Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor. Ml 48106-1346 ii Graduate College Iowa State University This is to certify that the Doctoral dissertation of Amy K. Ackerberg-Hastings has met the dissertation requirements of Iowa State University Signature was redacted for privacy. KlSor Pp^essor Signature was redacted for privacy. ror the Major Program Signature was redacted for privacy. For the Graduate College iii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES V LIST OF TABLES vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS viii ABSTRACT ix INTRODUCTION/CHAPTER ONE. SKETCHING THE GIVENS: INFLUENCES SHAPING MATHEMATICS IN REPUBLICAN AMERICA 1 Background Material — French Mathematics 13 Background Material — Analysis and Synthesis 30 CHAPTER TWO. THE WHOLE IS THE SUM OF DIVERSE PARTS: THE SCOTTISH LEGACY IN GEOMETRY EDUCATION 44 Robert Simson and Tlie Elements of Euclid 45 John Playfair and Elements of Geometry 53 Analysis and Synthesis as Mathematical Styles 61 Analysis and Synthesis as Method of Proof 75 Analysis and Synthesis as Educational Techniques 84 David Brewster and Thomas Carlyle 94 Conclusion 104 CHAPTER THREE. TO FIND THE AREA OF A PARALLELOGRAM: JEREMIAH DAY, CREATING AN AMERICAN GENTLEMAN THROUGH MATHEMATICS 107 Crossing the Atlantic: Scotland and American Colleges 109 Jeremiah Day and Yale 114 The Preparation of Mensuration 130 Day and Educational Technique 139 Day and Mathematical Styles 145 Day's Legacy in American Geometry Education 151 CHAPTER FOUR. A STRAIGHT LINE IS THE SHORTEST WAY FROM ONE POINT TO ANOTHER: JOHN FARRAR AND THE ART OF GEOMETRY 155 History of Harvard Mathematics 156 John Farrar and Har\'ard 161 The Convoluted Development of Elements of Geometry 182 iv Farrar and Method of Proof 194 Farrar and Mathematical StylesJ 198 Farrar and Educational Technique 202 The Limits to Farrar's Influence 211 CHAPTER FIVE. THE TWO CIRCLES WILL TOUCH EACH OTHER INTERNALLY: CHARLES DAVIES AT THE ART AND BUSINESS OF TEACHING GEOMETRY 215 The Shallow Roots of West Point Mathematics 216 Davies's Mobile Career 220 Development of Elements of Geometry and Trigonometry 238 Davies and Mathematical Styles 248 Davies and Educational Technique 254 Davies and Method of Proof 258 Conclusion 265 CHAPTER SIX. EPILOGUE: A GENTLEMAN'S ART IN A CHANGING WORLD 268 Dav, Farrar, Davies: A Review 271 American College Geometry Education After 1840 276 Final Thoughts 283 BIBLIOGRAPHY 288 Manuscript Sources 288 Published Works 290 V LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1. Comparison of Proposition II.6. a) From Robert Simson, The Elements of Euclid (Philadelphia, 1825), p. 54. b) From John Playfair, Elements of Geometry (Philadelphia, 1806), p. 54. 70 Figure 2.2. Example of John Playfeiir's alternative proofs: Proposition n.7. From John Playfair, Elements of Geometry (Philadelphia, 1806), p. 55. 72 Figure 2.3. Comparison of Proposition V.5. a) From Robert Simson, The Elements of Euclid (Philadelphia, 1825), pp. 125-126. b) From John Playfair, Elements of Geometry (Philadelphia, 1806), p. 138. 89 Figure 2.4. Comparison of similar theorems, a) From John Playfair, Elements of Geometry (Philadelphia. 1806), p. 145. b) From John Leslie, Elements of Geometry (Edinburgh, 1809), p. 155. 95 Figure 2.5. Example of Brewster's shaded, woodcut diagrams for solid geometry. From [Thomas Carlyle, trans.]. Elements of Geometry and Trigonometry (Edinburgh, 1824), pp. 115-116. 101 Figure 3.1. A typical proposition from Mensuration, giving arithmetical rules. From Jeremiah Day, Mensuration (New Haven, [1816]), p. 5. 148 Figure 3.2. Example of Day's informal proof structure. From Jeremiah Day, Mensuration (New Haven, [1816]), p. 67. 152 Figure 4.1. Farrar and Legendre referred directiy to the diagram, although the diagram was placed in the end matter of the textbook. From [John Farrar, trans.]. Elements of Geometry (Cambridge, 1819), p. 8 and Plate 1. 197 Figure 5.1. Davies pasted Euclid's axioms into Legendre's textbook. a) From John Playfair, Elements of Geometry (Philadelphia, 1806), pp. 6-7. b) From [John Farrar, trans.]. Elements of Geometry (Cambridge, 1819), p. 3. c) From Chcirles Davies, ed.. Elements of Geometry and Trigonometry (Philadelphia, [1834]), p. 13. 263 vi LIST OF TABLES Table 3.1. Publications by Jeremiah Day. 118 Table 4.1. Publications by John Farrar. 168 Table 5.1. Publications by Charles Davies. 228 vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ANB American National Biography DAB Dictionary of American Biography DNB Dictionary of National Biography DSB Dictionary of Scientific Biography NCAB The National Cyclopedia of American Biography NUC The Natiojial Union Catalog: Pre-1956 Imprints viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Manuscript materials appear in the following dissertation by courtesy of the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Librar}' at Yale University, the Trustees of the Boston Public Librarv', the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Columbia Universit}', the Harvard University Archives, the Massachusetts Historical Society, the Old Dartmouth Historical Society at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, the Special Collections and Archives of the United States Military Academy, and the Yale University Library Manuscripts and Archives. Special thanks also to the libraries of the University of Maryland at College Park, which quite helpfully extended library privileges, and the Johns Hopkins University; to the Library' of Congress; and to Marylene Altieri of Gutman Library Special Collections at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. The interlibrar\' loan departments of the University of Maryland at College Park and Iowa State Universit}' also proffered assistance with obtaining materials for the project. A long-distance move made this dissertation even more of an independent project than most, but the advice and guidance of major professor David B. Wilson was still indispensable. The author acknowledges her committee as well; Andrejs Plakans, Alan I Marcus, James Murdock, and Amy Sue Bix. Various members of the Canadian Society for the History and Philosophy of Mathematics have also provided encouragement along the way. Finally, thanks to Nelson Hastings for funding the research and cooking dinner. ix ABSTRACT The stor\' of geometry' education in the American college has been subject to neglect, with most historians assuming that all available information was published in
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Elements of Descriptive Geometry
    Livre de Lyon Academic Works of Livre de Lyon Science and Mathematical Science 2020 Elements of Descriptive Geometry Francis Henney Smith Follow this and additional works at: https://academicworks.livredelyon.com/sci_math Part of the Geometry and Topology Commons Recommended Citation Smith, Francis Henney, "Elements of Descriptive Geometry" (2020). Science and Mathematical Science. 13. https://academicworks.livredelyon.com/sci_math/13 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by Livre de Lyon, an international publisher specializing in academic books and journals. Browse more titles on Academic Works of Livre de Lyon, hosted on Digital Commons, an Elsevier platform. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ELEMENTS OF Descriptive Geometry By Francis Henney Smith Geometry livredelyon.com ISBN: 978-2-38236-008-8 livredelyon livredelyon livredelyon 09_Elements of Descriptive Geometry.indd 1 09-08-2020 15:55:23 TO COLONEL JOHN T. L. PRESTON, Professor of Latin Language and English Literature, Vir- ginia Military Institute. I am sure my associate Professors will vindicate the grounds upon which you arc singled out, as one to whom I may appro- priately dedicate this work. As the originator of the scheme, by which the public guard of a State Arsenal was converted into a Military School, you have the proud distinction of being the “ Father of the Virginia Military Institute ” You were a member of the first Board of Visitors, which gave form to the organization of the Institution; you were my only colleague during the two first and trying years of its being; and you have, for a period of twenty-eight years, given your labors and your influence, in no stinted mea- sure, not only in directing the special department of instruc- tion assigned to you, but in promoting those general plans of development, which have given marked character and wide- spread reputation to the school.
    [Show full text]
  • BERMAN-THESIS-2020.Pdf (4.226Mb)
    The Attributes and Formation Mechanisms of Kallistos Vallis, Venus by Derek A. Berman, B.S. A Thesis In Geosciences Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Approved David W. Leverington, Ph.D. Chair of Committee Haraldur R. Karlsson, Ph.D. Harold Gurrola, Ph.D. Dr. Mark Sheridan Dean of the Graduate School December, 2020 Copyright 2020, Derek A. Berman Texas Tech University, Derek A. Berman, December 2020 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like give my heartfelt gratitude and thanks to all my committee members. I would like to thank Dr. David Leverington for working with me these past years to accomplish this research and further my knowledge of planetary geology, geomorphology, and remote sensing. I hope this will be just the start to future collaborations, and that in 20 years we can still consider each other friends and colleagues in science. Thank you to Dr. Hal Karlsson for all your thoughtful comments and feedback on my thesis and a thank you to Dr. Harold Gurrola for serving on my thesis committee. I would also like to thank Lucia Barbato, Cameron Griffith, and Dr. Callum Hetherington for all the thoughtful advice, mentoring, and academic training. The three of you definitely helped to enrich my academic experience at TTU. The past several years have represented a huge personal growth period, full of challenges and triumphs. I want to thank all my friends and family members who lent me their undying support and motivation. I especially want to thank my sister Nicole, who was with me through the toughest of times, and my friends Giovanni, Luka, and Matteo, as well as all the members of the “Italian Club”, for your camaraderie and kind words of encouragement.
    [Show full text]
  • An Analytical Introduction to Descriptive Geometry
    An analytical introduction to Descriptive Geometry Adrian B. Biran, Technion { Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Ruben Lopez-Pulido, CEHINAV, Polytechnic University of Madrid, Model Basin, and Spanish Association of Naval Architects Avraham Banai Technion { Faculty of Mathematics Prepared for Elsevier (Butterworth-Heinemann), Oxford, UK Samples - August 2005 Contents Preface x 1 Geometric constructions 1 1.1 Introduction . 2 1.2 Drawing instruments . 2 1.3 A few geometric constructions . 2 1.3.1 Drawing parallels . 2 1.3.2 Dividing a segment into two . 2 1.3.3 Bisecting an angle . 2 1.3.4 Raising a perpendicular on a given segment . 2 1.3.5 Drawing a triangle given its three sides . 2 1.4 The intersection of two lines . 2 1.4.1 Introduction . 2 1.4.2 Examples from practice . 2 1.4.3 Situations to avoid . 2 1.5 Manual drawing and computer-aided drawing . 2 i ii CONTENTS 1.6 Exercises . 2 Notations 1 2 Introduction 3 2.1 How we see an object . 3 2.2 Central projection . 4 2.2.1 De¯nition . 4 2.2.2 Properties . 5 2.2.3 Vanishing points . 17 2.2.4 Conclusions . 20 2.3 Parallel projection . 23 2.3.1 De¯nition . 23 2.3.2 A few properties . 24 2.3.3 The concept of scale . 25 2.4 Orthographic projection . 27 2.4.1 De¯nition . 27 2.4.2 The projection of a right angle . 28 2.5 The two-sheet method of Monge . 36 2.6 Summary . 39 2.7 Examples . 43 2.8 Exercises .
    [Show full text]
  • O Modular Forms As Clues to the Emergence of Spacetime in String
    PHYSICS ::::owan, C., Keehan, S., et al. (2007). Health spending Modular Forms as Clues to the Emergence of Spacetime in String 1anges obscure part D's impact. Health Affairs, 26, Theory Nathan Vander Werf .. , Ayanian, J.Z., Schwabe, A., & Krischer, J.P. Abstract .nd race on early detection of cancer. Journal ofth e 409-1419. In order to be consistent as a quantum theory, string theory requires our universe to have extra dimensions. The extra dimensions form a particu­ lar type of geometry, called Calabi-Yau manifolds. A fundamental open ions ofNursi ng in the Community: Community question in string theory over the past two decades has been the problem ;, MO: Mosby. of establishing a direct relation between the physics on the worldsheet and the structure of spacetime. The strategy used in our work is to use h year because of lack of insurance. British Medical methods from arithmetic geometry to find a link between the geome­ try of spacetime and the physical theory on the string worldsheet . The approach involves identifying modular forms that arise from the Omega Fact Finder: Economic motives with modular forms derived from the underlying conformal field letrieved November 20, 2008 from: theory. The aim of this article is to first give a motivation and expla­ nation of string theory to a general audience. Next, we briefly provide some of the mathematics needed up to modular forms, so that one has es. (2007). National Center for Health the tools to find a string theoretic interpretation of modular forms de­ : in the Health ofAmericans. Publication rived from K3 surfaces of Brieskorm-Pham type.
    [Show full text]
  • Champ Math Study Guide Indesign
    Champions of Mathematics — Study Guide — Questions and Activities Page 1 Copyright © 2001 by Master Books, Inc. All rights reserved. This publication may be reproduced for educational purposes only. BY JOHN HUDSON TINER To get the most out of this book, the following is recommended: Each chapter has questions, discussion ideas, research topics, and suggestions for further reading to improve students’ reading, writing, and thinking skills. The study guide shows the relationship of events in Champions of Mathematics to other fields of learning. The book becomes a springboard for exploration in other fields. Students who enjoy literature, history, art, or other subjects will find interesting activities in their fields of interest. Parents will find that the questions and activities enhance their investments in the Champion books because children of different age levels can use them. The questions with answers are designed for younger readers. Questions are objective and depend solely on the text of the book itself. The questions are arranged in the same order as the content of each chapter. A student can enjoy the book and quickly check his or her understanding and comprehension by the challenge of answering the questions. The activities are designed to serve as supplemental material for older students. The activities require greater knowledge and research skills. An older student (or the same student three or four years later) can read the book and do the activities in depth. CHAPTER 1 QUESTIONS 1. A B C D — Pythagoras was born on an island in the (A. Aegean Sea B. Atlantic Ocean C. Caribbean Sea D.
    [Show full text]
  • HISTORICAL 50CIETY MONTGOMERY COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA J\Roi^RISTOWN
    BULLETIN joffAe- HISTORICAL 50CIETY MONTGOMERY COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA J\rOI^RISTOWN £omery PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY AT IT5 R00M5 IS EAST PENN STREET NORRI5TOWN.PA. OCTOBER, 1939 VOLUME II NUMBER 1 PRICE 50 CENTS Historical Society of Montgomery County OFFICERS Nelson P. Fegley, Esq., President S. Cameron Corson, First Vice-President Mrs. John Faber Miller, Second Vice-President Charles Harper Smith, Third Vice-President Mrs. Rebecca W. Brecht, Recording Secretary Ella Slinglupp, Corresponding Secretary Annie B. Molony, Financial Secretary Lyman a. Kratz, Treasurer Emily K. Preston, Librarian TRUSTEES Franklin A. Stickler, Chairman Mrs. A. Conrad Jones Katharine Preston H. H. Ganser Floyd G. Frederick i David Rittenhouse THE BULLETIN of the Historical Society of Montgomery County Published Semi-Anrvmlly — October and April Volume II October, 1939 Number 1 CONTENTS Dedication of the David Rittenhouse Marker, June 3, 1939 3 David Rittenhouse, LL.D., F.R.S. A Study from ContemporarySources, Milton Rubincam 8 The Lost Planetarium of David Ritten house James K. Helms 31 The Weberville Factory Charles H. Shaw 35 The Organization of Friends Meeting at Norristown Helen E. Richards 39 Map Making and Some Maps of Mont gomery County Chester P. Cook 51 Bible Record (Continued) 57 Reports 65 Publication Committee Dr. W. H. Reed, Chairman Charles R. Barker Hannah Gerhard Chester P. Cook Bertha S. Harry Emily K. Preston, Editor 1 Dedication of the David Rittenhouse Marker June 3, 1939 The picturesque farm of Mr. Herbert T. Ballard, Sr., on Germantown Pike, east of Fairview Village, in East Norriton township, was the scene of a notable gathering, on June 3, 1939, the occasion being the dedication by the Historical So ciety of Montgomery County of the marker commemorating the observation of the transit of Venus by the astronomer, David Rittenhouse, on nearby ground, and on the same month and day, one hundred and seventy years before.
    [Show full text]
  • James Hutton, the Scottish Enlightenment and the North West
    by Vivien As old as the hills Martin ECENTLY we had a display of fossils Rin the library. A young woman with two small children examined a fossilised James Hutton, the Scottish dinosaur tooth with great interest. She then turned to me and asked if cavemen would have kept dinosaurs as pets. And to my surprise the question was serious. Enlightenment and the It brought home to me just how difficult the concept of time can be. Especially the further back you go. All those billions of years that have gone into creating North West Highlands Geopark the planet we know today, including the millions it’s taken for our particular bit of it, Scotland, to reach its present form. Such a vast span of time can be hard, if not impossible, for our minds to grasp. This ‘deep time’, as it’s called, is measured in eons, eras, periods and epochs. Geologists believe that many of these eras were brought to an end by specific cataclysmic events. Like, for example, the one 64 million years ago, when a gigantic meteor strike is thought to have set off a chain reaction so destructive that it led to mass extinctions on Earth, the dinosaurs included. Extinctions that occurred long, long before the arrival of humans. So no, if you were a caveman you most certainly wouldn’t have had a dinosaur as a pet! Fred Flintstone has a lot to answer for! “Go to the mountains to read the immeasurable course of time.” James Hutton, 1788 Fred Flintstone has a lot to Fred & Dino Credit Hanna-Barbera Gruinard Bay answer for! Prof Lorna The North West Highlands Dawson of the Geopark welcomes you! James Hutton Institute So how do we know how old the earth is? After all, humankind is one of the more recent additions to the planet and people weren’t around to witness what happened.
    [Show full text]
  • Testing the Elite: Yale College in the Revolutionary Era, 1740-1815
    St. John's University St. John's Scholar Theses and Dissertations 2021 TESTING THE ELITE: YALE COLLEGE IN THE REVOLUTIONARY ERA, 1740-1815 David Andrew Wilock Saint John's University, Jamaica New York Follow this and additional works at: https://scholar.stjohns.edu/theses_dissertations Recommended Citation Wilock, David Andrew, "TESTING THE ELITE: YALE COLLEGE IN THE REVOLUTIONARY ERA, 1740-1815" (2021). Theses and Dissertations. 255. https://scholar.stjohns.edu/theses_dissertations/255 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by St. John's Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of St. John's Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. TESTING THE ELITE: YALE COLLEGE IN THE REVOLUTIONARY ERA, 1740- 1815 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY to the faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY of ST. JOHN’S COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES at ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY New York by David A. Wilock Date Submitted ____________ Date Approved________ ____________ ________________ David Wilock Timothy Milford, Ph.D. © Copyright by David A. Wilock 2021 All Rights Reserved ABSTRACT TESTING THE ELITE: YALE COLLEGE IN THE REVOLUTIONARY ERA, 1740- 1815 David A. Wilock It is the goal of this dissertation to investigate the institution of Yale College and those who called it home during the Revolutionary Period in America. In so doing, it is hoped that this study will inform a much larger debate about the very nature of the American Revolution itself. The role of various rectors and presidents will be considered, as well as those who worked for the institution and those who studied there.
    [Show full text]
  • American Academy of Arts and Sciences Volume 3, 1803-1818
    AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES GUIDE TO SERIES I-B-1: GENERAL RECORDS. LETTERBOOKS. BOUND LETTERBOOKS. VOLUME 3, 1803-1818 Archives American Academy of Arts and Sciences 136 Irving Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 © 2011 American Academy of Arts and Sciences Updated: 15 April 2016 AMERICAN ACADEMY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES ARCHIVES Series I-B-1: General records. Letterbooks. Bound letterbooks. Volume 3, 1803-1818 ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Historical Note The Academy has received letters, announcements, and other forms of correspondence since the founding in 1780. All such correspondence was the responsibility of the Corresponding Secretary, one of the original officers of the Academy. Beginning sometime in the late 1800s, incoming letters were pasted into bound scrapbooks, which the Academy referred to as “letterbooks.” This practice continued until 1988, when staff began saving correspondence in folders. For the time period covered by Volume 3, the Presidents of the Academy were John Adams (1791-1814) and Edward Augustus Holyoke (1814-1820). The Corresponding Secretaries were John Quincy Adams (1802-1809) and Josiah Quincy (1809-1823). Scope and Content The series of letterbooks in its entirety includes letters from newly-elected Fellows, formally accepting their elections; communications with other learned societies (especially, invitations to attend meetings or send representatives to official events, and offers to exchange publications); correspondence concerning gifts of books, maps, and natural history specimens; and inquiries from members and non- members regarding the submission and publication of articles. Volume 3 contains letters and other documents received by the American Academy from 1803 to 1818. Most of this incoming correspondence pertains to the election of members and other administrative duties.
    [Show full text]
  • A Century of Mathematics in America, Peter Duren Et Ai., (Eds.), Vol
    Garrett Birkhoff has had a lifelong connection with Harvard mathematics. He was an infant when his father, the famous mathematician G. D. Birkhoff, joined the Harvard faculty. He has had a long academic career at Harvard: A.B. in 1932, Society of Fellows in 1933-1936, and a faculty appointmentfrom 1936 until his retirement in 1981. His research has ranged widely through alge­ bra, lattice theory, hydrodynamics, differential equations, scientific computing, and history of mathematics. Among his many publications are books on lattice theory and hydrodynamics, and the pioneering textbook A Survey of Modern Algebra, written jointly with S. Mac Lane. He has served as president ofSIAM and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Mathematics at Harvard, 1836-1944 GARRETT BIRKHOFF O. OUTLINE As my contribution to the history of mathematics in America, I decided to write a connected account of mathematical activity at Harvard from 1836 (Harvard's bicentennial) to the present day. During that time, many mathe­ maticians at Harvard have tried to respond constructively to the challenges and opportunities confronting them in a rapidly changing world. This essay reviews what might be called the indigenous period, lasting through World War II, during which most members of the Harvard mathe­ matical faculty had also studied there. Indeed, as will be explained in §§ 1-3 below, mathematical activity at Harvard was dominated by Benjamin Peirce and his students in the first half of this period. Then, from 1890 until around 1920, while our country was becoming a great power economically, basic mathematical research of high quality, mostly in traditional areas of analysis and theoretical celestial mechanics, was carried on by several faculty members.
    [Show full text]
  • Yale University Catalogue, 1857 Yale University
    Yale University EliScholar – A Digital Platform for Scholarly Publishing at Yale Yale University Catalogue Yale University Publications 1857 Yale University Catalogue, 1857 Yale University Follow this and additional works at: http://elischolar.library.yale.edu/yale_catalogue Part of the Curriculum and Instruction Commons, and the Higher Education Commons Recommended Citation Yale University, "Yale University Catalogue, 1857" (1857). Yale University Catalogue. 57. http://elischolar.library.yale.edu/yale_catalogue/57 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the Yale University Publications at EliScholar – A Digital Platform for Scholarly Publishing at Yale. It has been accepted for inclusion in Yale University Catalogue by an authorized administrator of EliScholar – A Digital Platform for Scholarly Publishing at Yale. For more information, please contact [email protected]. CATALOGUE OF THE OFFICERS AND STUDENTS IN Y A L E C 0 1 L E G E, WITH A STATEMENT OF THE COURSE OF INSTRUCTION IN THE- VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS. 1857-58. NEW HAVEN: PRINTED BY E. H YES. 1857. 2 ~orporatfotl. THE GOVERNOR, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, A.."iD SIX SENIOR SENATORS OF THE STATE, ABE, ex officio, MEMBERS OF THE CORPORATION. PB.ES:IDENT. REv. THEODORE D. WOOLSEY, D. D., LL.D. .I FELLO'WS. His Exc. ALEXANDER H. HOLLEY, Gov., SALISBURY. His HoNOR ALFRED A. BURNHAM, Lt. Gov., WINDHAM. REv. DAVID SMITH, D. D., DuRHAM. REv. NOAH PORTER, D. D., FARMINGTON. REv. ABEL McEWEN, D. D., NEw LoNDON. REv. JEREMIAH DAY, D. D., LL.D., NEw HAVEN. REv. JOEL HAWES, D. D., HARTFORD. REv. JOSEPH ELDRIDGE, D. D., NoRFOLK. REv. GEORGE A. CALHOUN, D.
    [Show full text]
  • The Selling of Newton: Science and Technology in Early Eighteenth-Century England Author(S): Larry Stewart Reviewed Work(S): Source: Journal of British Studies, Vol
    The Selling of Newton: Science and Technology in Early Eighteenth-Century England Author(s): Larry Stewart Reviewed work(s): Source: Journal of British Studies, Vol. 25, No. 2 (Apr., 1986), pp. 178-192 Published by: The University of Chicago Press on behalf of The North American Conference on British Studies Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/175647 . Accessed: 16/12/2012 23:37 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. The University of Chicago Press and The North American Conference on British Studies are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Journal of British Studies. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded on Sun, 16 Dec 2012 23:37:03 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions The Selling of Newton: Science and Technology in Early Eighteenth-CenturyEngland Larry Stewart In the past decade the role of science in the early eighteenthcen- tury has come in for close scrutiny and increasing debate. There is specificallyone ratherlarge and problematicissue, that is, the relation- ship between science and technology in Englandin the first half of the eighteenth century when, it is generallyagreed, the IndustrialRevolu- tion had not yet made any discernible impact.
    [Show full text]