Item 2 - Letter from J. J. Sylvester to W. K. Clifford

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CLIF/E1/2

Title

Letter from J. J. Sylvester to W. K. Clifford

Date(s)

  • 9 Aug. 1878 (Creation)

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1 folded sheet

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Clifford, William Kingdon (1845-1879), mathematician and philosopher of science
(1845-1879)

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Trinity College Library, Cambridge

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(Paris.)—Welcomes him back to England. Is about to go to Dublin for the British Association meeting, and is sorry Clifford will not be there. C. S. Pierce is expected to attend. Thanks him for some manuscripts, which he presumes are for the American Journal of Mathematics. Discusses points relating to the application of chemistry to algebra (sic).

(Letter-head of the Athenaeum Club.)

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Transcript

Athenæum Club
9th August 1878

My dear Clifford,

Welcome back to England! This is written from Paris which I leave on Sunday night next for London whence on Tuesday evening I purpose to proceed to the B.A. at Dublin where I grieve to infer from yr letter you do not intend to be present. Peerce† (C. S. I suppose you mean) I am informed will also attend the meeting of the British Association.

Many thanks for the precious Mss which I presume you intend for the American Journal. Have you seen the second number of it? I think that I have gone one step beyond you in interpreting multiplication of graphs.

Überschiebung we have in common. I now see that in applying Chemistry to Algebra we must always begin with supposing an indefinite number of Quartics of each given species: we may thus ex-gr à priori determine that there are only 5 irreducible combinations of hydrogen and oxygen atoms

viz Oxygen. Hydrogen. Hydroxyl. Water and Ozone.

Jordan has taught me something about indefinite systems which I only suspected before but now know to be true and which are essential to the development of the chemical side of the subject.

Let me know if not too troublesome how you are getting on and what your intentions are for the future.

If you feel writing a fatigue ask your excellent wife to write for you.

With my kindest regards to her and yourself believe me

My dear Clifford
Yours very truly
J. J. Sylvester

It requires a somehat delicate handling to prove graphically that the covariant of the 2d order in the variables and of the 3d or higher degree in the coefficients of an infinite system of Quadrics is verifiable.

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† Sic.

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