HISTORY OF ALGEBRA.

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TRACT 33.

bad not; sue!) as, the use of an indelinite number of un-known quantities, and the use of arbitrary marks to expressthem ; a good arithmetic of surds; a perfect theory of in-determinate problems of the first degree; a very extensiveand general knowledge of those of the second degree; aperfect acquaintance with quadratic equations, &c. Thearrangement and manner of the two works are as differentas their substance: the one constitutes a regular body ofscience; the other does not: the Bija Ganita is quite con-nected and well digested, and abounds in general rules,which suppose great learning; the rules are illustrated byexamples, and the solutions are performed with skill. Dio-phantus, though not entirely without method, gives veryfew general propositions, being chiefly remarkable for thedexterity and ingenuity with which he makes assumptionsfor the simple solution of his questions. The former teachesalgebra as a science, by treating it systematically; the lat-ter sharpens the wit, by solving a variety of abstruse andcomplicated problems in an ingenious manner. The authorof the Bija Ganita goes deeper into his subject, treats itmore abstractedly, and more methodically, though not moreacutely, than Diophantus. The former has every character-istic of an assiduous and learned compiler; the latter of aman of genius in the infancy of science.

Besides the foregoing remarks, derived chiefly from theprinted notices of Mr. Strachey, I have lately been favouredwith communications of several other curious particulars re-lating to the same two books, by S. Davis, Esq. The late Mr.Reuben Burrow collected,in India,many oriental manuscriptson the mathematical sciences, both in the Sanskrit and the Per-sian languages, the latter being translations only of the for-mer: most of these he bequeathed by will to one of his sonsthere, but with an injunction not to be delivered to him till heshould have learned those languages and the sciences. Butone or two of these Burrow left to his friend Mr. Dalby,mathematical professor at the Royal Military College, Wy-combe. These are now in Mr. Dalby’s possession, being

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