I do not quite understand your reference to Stokes and Adams, as types
of the men who alone retain their abstract Analytical Geometry. If a
man when he takes his degree drops mathematics, he drops geometry--but
if not I think for the above reasons that he is more likely to go on
with it than with almost any other subject--and any mathematical
journal will shew that a very great amount of attention is in fact
given to geometry. And the subject is in a very high degree a
progressive one; quite as much as to Physics, one may apply to it the
lines, Yet I doubt not thro' the ages one increasing purpose runs, and
the thoughts of men are widened with the progress of the suns.
I remain, dear Sir,
Yours very sincerely,
A. CAYLEY.
CAMBRIDGE,
_6 Dec., 1867_.
* * * * *
ROYAL OBSERVATORY, GREENWICH,
LONDON, S.E.
_1867, December 9_.
MY DEAR SIR,
I have received with much pleasure your letter of December 6. In this
University discussion, I have acted only in public, and have not made
private communication to any person whatever till required to do so by
private letter addressed to me.
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