SECTION y. - BIBLIOGRAPHIE ET HISTOIRE.

NOTE ON THE MATHEMATICS

OF

THE OLD JAPANESE SCHOOL,

By R. FUJ1SAWA (Tokio).

The présent short note is devoted to a subject which is entirely obsolète nowadays, and which appears to hâve only historical interest. Ithas heen hastily written during my voyage, my coming to Paris to join this congress having heen only settled defînitively about a week before I left Tokio. Some of the works which I might hâve consulted were not accessible to me, and Ihadoften to appeal to my memory alone. Owing to this circum-stance and no less to the nature of the subject vvith which it deals, the présent communication is vague in many respects. I crave your indulgence for this and many other shortcomings, which it may not be necessary to enumerate in this place.

There are circumstances which seem to suggesl that, the bare fact that there is such a thing as the malhematics of the old Japanese school may not be altogether unknowm to atleasta few of the western mathematicians. To avoid misundefstanding, may I be allowed to say that I myselfdo not belong to this school. It might appear to be rather curious tat I schould speak upon a subject with which I am not familiar. To justify myself in this respect, may I be permitted to make a few remarks on the almost insurmountable diffîculties which seem to accompany the study of this subject in the light of modem mathematics.

The nomenclature and the notations are as clumsy as they areawkward, and are likely to be répulsive to any one who is accustomed to those of the modem mathematics. Add to this, that there is a considérable number

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