ANALYTIC GEOMETRY,

by Prof. RobinRobinson '24. McGraw-Hill, 1949. 147 pages $2.25.

Professor Robinson has written an excellent text. It is brief. It is clear. It is accurate. It fully meets the needs of the type of course in analytic geometry planned by the Mathematics Department. In fact it is the outgrowth of mimeographed notes prepared by the author and used by the department for many years.

Writers of texts on analytic geometry may be divided into those who believe in the intrinsic value of the subject as a discipline, those who look upon the subject largely as a stepping stone to the later study of the ca cuius, and finally those who combine these two points of view in various ways. The author of this text belongs to the third group.

Its 143 Pages make it about half the size 0f most texts on this subject; yet the book mves a good account of the topics usually treated, preparing the student adequately, at the same time, for the study of the calculus. This is accomplished by making the explanations brief, leaving the rest for the teacher to do in the class-room.

The problem of dealing with tangents to a conic at a given point is treated in a special manner, by consideration of diameters of conies. The last two chapters give a concise but clear account of the elementary facts of solid analytic geometry.

The book is most attractive in appearance; the typography being splendid, the figures excellent and the formulas well displayed.