Show EUCATORS GATHER I First Annual Meeting of the Utah I Mathematical Society HELD AT TH UNIVERSITY PAPERS BEAD BY SEVERAL WELLKNOWN PROFESSORS The Most Important Was That By President Kerr of Logan Whose Theme Was The Place of Mathematics Mathe-matics I Education Interesting Treatment of a Technical Subject The first annual meeting Of the Utah Mathematical society since its recent reorganization was held in the university yesterday The exercises I were opened by music by the orchestra of the Oquirrh school the number being I I be-ing rendered in a very acceptable man I ner Superintendent AAroolton of AAa I I satch county presented the first paper upon the subject Arithmetical Symbols Sym-bols and was listened to with close i attention I Mr J F Engle of the Ogden High I I I I I i school was next Introduced and chose I as his theme Psychology of Numbers which was ably handled I I The paper elicited quite an animated I discussion President Kerr Professor Glllilan Mr Chase and Superintendent AAroolton participating By reason of the lateness of the hour the paper by Professor D R Allen upon The Logical Logi-cal Relationship Between Algebra and Arithmetic was left over until the evening session 1 The session was resumed at 8 oclock I I I I when Professor Allen presented his paper pa-per giving a lucid treatment of the i i I I same sme j I Professor Kerr president of the association I as-sociation was then introduced and spoke upon The Place of Mathematics in Education Iathematcs I I The speaker prefaced his address by I calling attention to the lack of general Interest in the subject of mathematics mathematcs and the prevailing idea that It Is of little practical value beyond the most elementary principles consisting chiefly chief-ly l of theoretical abstractions of value only to the specialist He attributed this largely to the nature of the sub ject the nomenclature of which being so technical that it does not yield readily to popular treatment and fur ther to the disposition among mathe maticians themselves to devote their time exclusively to the special line of investigation in which they are particu larly interested taking little Interest in the subject ei a whole and disregardIng value disre-garding the question of its practical In aKslmiinrr mntlmTrt I nlnn IK education he spoke of u the function m of I functon I education as usually interpreted and pioceeded to determine the value of mathematical science by the share it I contributes to the development of the mental faculties and by the applica ton I finds In scientific research and I in the development of the useful arts I and thus in what measure I contrib I utes toward the civilization of the world Mathematics is an exact sci ence Its language is definite and fixed In its work the student Is ac customed to demand complete and ex act proof He is therefore habituated to precision and accuracy in all his work All intellectual al Al Intelectual progress depends lets upon laborious effort than upon habit of close steady and continued I attention Mathematics is preeminent ly valuable as a disciplinary subject I It is the science 011 strict lcsab con I clusions giving the mind a rigorous training in systematic thinking and in the art of drawing legitimate Inferences from accepted premises The vaiue ot mathematics in the acquisition of knowledge was dis cussed and It was shown that in scientific investigations in physics chemistry mineralogy advanced work In geologynot only the principles of elementary mathematics through trigonometry are employed but the use of advanced calculus and differen tial equations is dlferen Al astronomical work Is essentially mathematical the distances essentaly planets from one another and from the earth their revolutions sizes density all being accurately determined deter-mined by mathematical law Medicine and the fine arts are also dependent upon mathematics great Improvements have also been made in recent years in musical instruments by an II tb nf annlcatnn lJu ciples In the development of the arts the highest achievements have been wrought by an application of the advanced ad-vanced subjects of mathematics All Al lines of engineering workthe construction con-struction of bridges aqueducts various vari-ous kinds of machinen for manu facturing purposes of telescopes microscopes and other Instruments used In scientific research the construction con-struction of ocean vessels railways and railway equipments are dependent depend-ent throughout upon the science of mathematics Every part from the largest to the most delicate Is lagest lelete constructed con-structed according to mathematical law its shape and size being ouch a to give the maximum malmum strength with the minimum friction and material From a careful study of the history I of civilization and the origin and development of mathematical science it Is shown that the progress made in sown progss mae civilization has been coordinate with and dependent upon the development of mathematics Since the discoveries of the earliest mathematicians Euclid Archimedes and Apoloniusevery great achievement achieve-ment in mathematics has resulted In a corresponding increase in the a vrfncement of the people The invention inven-tion of analytical geometry by DesCartes Des-Cartes and of the infinitesimal calculus culus by LJebnltz and Newton revolutionized the scientific and industrial in-dustrial world The progress made in scientific research since the invention of the advanced subjects of mathematics mathe-matics and the consequent Improvement Improve-ment in all manufacturing and engineering en-gineering work has been phenomenal Various applications are being made of the most advanced principles of mathematical science In differential I I equations quaternlus the function 1 theory and other subjects of medern I discovery In closing the speaker Indulges the I hope that a better understanding of the nature scope and value of the various subjects of mathematics might result from the work of the I Uta Mathematical society and secure se-cure i meter appreciation of this Important science I The society was favored In the afternoon by a piano solo by Miss Lola Cochler and In the evening by I an Instrumental duett by Ir Bunnell and son both of which were heartily enjoyed The association will meet this morn ing when the following programme will be rendered Class Drill in Arithmetic Miss Rachel Edwards Principles Obtaining In Teaching Elementary Arithmetic Mr Gillilan recitation Miss Babcock The following committees were appointed ap-pointed On finance Messrs G N McKay W 1 Stewart and A O Clark on resolutions Messrs D R Allen R E Chase and W T Eddlng field |