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Second referee's report by Henry John Stephen Smith, on a paper 'On Fermat’s theorem of the polygonal numbers, with supplement' by Jonathan Frederick Pollock

Reference number: RR/5/193

Date: 10 November 1863

Description

Not recommended for publication in the 'Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society'. Encloses a memorandum [RR/5/194] clearly stating his disagreement with the demonstration. Has not communicated with Arthur Cayley.

Addendum, dated 12 November 1863. Has received the letter from George Gabriel Stokes containing a note from Arthur Cayley. Agrees with Arthur Cayley regarding the doubtful points of the paper. Has sent Alexander John Ellis' paper to Price [Bartholomew Price?], who will respond in a few days. Suggests Ellis be discouraged from publishing criticisms of other mathematicians, including Julius Plücker ['On an application of the theory of scalar and clinant radical loci', Proceedings, doi:10.1098/rspl.1860.0030 Vol.11 1862]. Refers to work by George Salmon and Carnot [?], August Ferdinand Möbius and Michel Chasles, the last of which the Committee has decided not to publish.

Subject: Mathematics

[Published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, 1864]

Reference number
RR/5/193
Earliest possible date
10 November 1863
Physical description
Letter on paper
Page extent
8 pages
Format
Manuscript

Creator name

Henry John Stephen Smith

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Citation

Henry John Stephen Smith, Second referee's report by Henry John Stephen Smith, on a paper 'On Fermat’s theorem of the polygonal numbers, with supplement' by Jonathan Frederick Pollock, 10 November 1863, RR/5/193, The Royal Society Archives, London, https://makingscience.royalsociety.org/items/rr_5_193/second-referees-report-by-henry-john-stephen-smith-on-a-paper-on-fermats-theorem-of-the-polygonal-numbers-with-supplement-by-jonathan-frederick-pollock, accessed on 09 October 2024

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  • Referee Reports

    Date: 1832-1954

    This collection contains reports on scientific papers submitted for publication to the Royal Society. Started in 1832 when the system was formalised, it is a record of the origins of peer review publishing in practice.

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