20 OCTOBER 1900, Page 21

A Brief History of Mathematics. Translated from the German of

Dr. Karl Fink by Wooster Woodruff Beman and David Eugene Smith. (Kegan Paul, Trench, and Co. 6s. net.)—Probably few students of mathematics know anything of the history of the manuals which they use, and of the men by whose labours they have gained the vantage ground which they now occupy. We all know at least the name of Euclid. Some may have beard of Euler, and certain formulre have names attached to them. But of the scores of names which Professor Fink has brought together in this volume most are absolutely obscure. The translators have done a good work in introduCing this learned treatise to the English-speaking world.