ABSTRACT Mathematics

, otherwise called pure mathematics, is that which treats of the properties of magnitude, figure, or quantity, absolutely and generally confidered, without restriction to any species in particular: such as Arithmetic and Geometry. In this sense, abstract or pure mathematics, is opposed to mixed mathematics, in which simple and abstract properties, and the relations of quantities, primitively considered in pure mathematics, are applied to sensible objects; as in astronomy, hydrostatics, optics, &c.

Abstract Number, is a number, or collection of units, considered in itself, without being applied to denote a collection of any particular and determinate things. So, for example, 3 is an abstract number, so far as it is not applied to something: but when we say 3 feet, or 3 persons, the 3 is no longer an abstract, but a concrete number.

previous entry · index · next entry

ABCDEFGHKLMNOPQRSTWXYZABCEGLMN

Entry taken from A Mathematical and Philosophical Dictionary, by Charles Hutton, 1796.

This text has been generated using commercial OCR software, and there are still many problems; it is slowly getting better over time. Please don't reuse the content (e.g. do not post to wikipedia) without asking liam at holoweb dot net first (mention the colour of your socks in the mail), because I am still working on fixing errors. Thanks!

previous entry · index · next entry

ABERRATION
ABRIDGING
ABSCISS
ABSIS
ABSOLUTE Equation
* ABSTRACT Mathematics
ABSURD
ABUNDANT Number
ACADEMICIAN
ACADEMICS
ACADEMIST