WCP4513

[1]

Parkstone, Dorset.

Sept^r. 12^th. 1889

My dear Meldola

I am trying to coach Willie a little for his Examination at the College, but find a difficulty in the fact that things are asked for that are not only not taught in the majority of schools but are unknown to the Cambridge men who are the usual teachers of mathematics. Perhaps the Board Schools teach on these methods but I rather doubt it. I find the attempt to teach him the new contracted methods of multiplication & division which he has been practising at school the last term, is a failure, as [2] it involves the application of new rules & thus takes more time, & is therefore ^also more liable to errors, through its unfamiliarity than the ordinary methods, which, from long practice have become mechanical. What I particularly want to ask you now is if you can give me the proper ^"modern" definition of the terms "angle" — "radian" — "trace" — and "projection", — "and other terms used in practical geometry". — I can find no allusion to these terms in any of the books he has used, and the ordinary school mathematical teacher has a horror of "practical [3] geometry" and is quite ignorant of it. Can you give me the title of any modern book on "practical geometry" that will supply this want? I can find none in the usual lists of mathematical works.

I think it rather hard to make such special requirements in an entrance examination, which must give an advantage to the pupils of special schools quite irrespective of their actual knowledge of the subject.

Believe me| Yours faithfully| Alfred R. Wallace [signature]

^{None of the Charterhouse masters nor those at Cranleigh taught on the method required or know anything of it.}

^A.R.W. [signature]¹