The paper is concerned with the distributional properties of Markoff chains in two and three dimensions where the transition probability for the length of a step and its orientation relative to that of the previous step is specified.

The discrete two-dimensional chain of n steps is first discussed, and by the use of moving axes an equation relating characteristic functions of the end-point distribution for successive values of n is obtained. The corresponding differential equation for the limiting chain with continuous first derivatives is given and asymptotic solutions for long chains are found.

The three-dimensional chain is similarly treated in terms of moving axes, and the limiting continuous chain is again discussed. Finally the same methods are applied to the discrete chain of equal steps to obtain the asymptotic form of the end-point distribution for long chains.

Given the series ,the n-th Casáro sum of order k is defined by the relation

where is the binomial coefficient . Let Then Σan is said to be summable (C; K) to the sum s if, as n → ∞, The series is said to be absolutely summable (C; k), or summable | is convergent. The series is said to be strongly summable (C; k) with index p, or summable [Ck, p], to the sum s if

It is assumed that k and p are positive.

The problem of solving the equation of thermal conduction for cases in which heat is generated in the interior of the medium under consideration arises frequently in physics and engineering. It occurs, for instance, when we consider the diffusion of heat in a solid undergoing radioactive decay (1) or which is absorbing radiation (2). Complications of a similar nature arise when there is a generation or absorption of heat in the solid as a result of a chemical change-for example, the hydration of cement (3). The particular case in which the rate of generation of heat is independent of the temperature arises in the theory of the ripening of apples and has been discussed by Awberry (4).

By applying Gauss's Theorem it can be seen that, if n is a positive integer and α is not integral,

so that

In section 2 it will be proved that, if

Where α and β are not integers

Where μ and M are constants independent of n.

The method of iteration of penultimate remainders, introduced by S. N. Lin for approximating by stages to the exact factors of a polynomial, is subjected to theoretical analysis. The matrix governing the iterative process is obtained, and its latent roots and latent vectors are found. Incidental theorems yielding further factorizations are proved, and processes are developed for accelerating convergence. Numerical examples illustrate varying situations likely to arise in practice.

A square matrix A = (aij) is expressed symbolically in terms of Clebsch-Aronhold equivalent symbols aij = aiaj = βibj = …, and the symbolic expressions for symmetric functions of the latent roots of A are considered, the relation between these functions and projective invariants of the bilinear form uAx being noted. The Newton and Brioschi relations between the symmetric functions are obtained by reduction of symbolic determinants and permanents respectively, and the Wronskian relations are shown to be equivalent to certain identities between determinants and permanents due to Muir. Also the fundamental theorem of symmetric functions is obtained symbolically as a consequence of the first fundamental theorem of invariants. The paper concludes with a note on the symbolization of the h-bialternants, that is of the traces of irreducible invariant matrices of A.

The relaxation technique of R. V. Southwell is shown to be applicable in certain cases to transonic problems. For a uniform stream with a low subsonic velocity impinging on a symmetrical 2-dimensional double wedge, an asymmetrical supersonic region can be isolated in the neighbourhood of the corner of the wedge, and the streamlines and the values of the Mach number within this supersonic region can be determined with the aid of relaxation methods. Difficulties must be expected to occur in the neighbourhood of the sonic line, but in the present problem these have been surmounted.

This paper represents the application of the Principle of Reciprocity, formulated in a previous communication, to the outstanding problems of classical and quantum electrodynamics.

The first step consists in the formulation of a reciprocally invariant Lagrangian function for a system of electrons in interaction with the electromagnetic field. A study is made of the unaccelerated motion of an electron, and this is subsequently extended to embrace the problem of an electron in arbitrary motion. It is found that the usual difficulties of classical electrodynamics do not appear. The methods of the earlier paper are applied to the derivation of the Hamiltonian energy of electron and field, and this enables a quantized formulation of the theory to be given, which also does not lead to the usual divergence difficulties.

In an earlier paper a description was given, in terms of classical projective geometry, of some of the properties of parallel fields of vector spaces (parallel planes) in a Riemannian Vn, and a detailed analysis was made of the case n = 4. The present paper contains the corresponding formulae for any n, though omits their projective interpretation. A parallel þ-plane is said to be of nullity q when the þ vectors of any normal basis contain q null and þ − q non-null vectors. The conditions of parallelism, namely that the co-variant derivatives of the basis-vectors should depend linearly upon these vectors, are examined for any þ and any q(<þ), and attention is thereafter mainly confined to the cases (i) n even, q = ½n − 1, p = ½n − 1 or ½n; (ii) n odd, q = ½(n − 3)) ,p = ½(n − 1), which possess exceptional features. In the former of these cases light is thrown upon the curious circumstance, noted in the previous paper, that the existence in a V4 of a null parallel i-plane necessitates the existence of parallel planes other than its conjugate. For a general n similar situations arise in the cases indicated.

Poincaré, Liapounoff, Perron and others have proved theorems about the order of smallness, as the independent variable tends to + ∞, of solutions of differential equations with non-linear perturbation terms. A similar theory exists for difference equations. By a simple use of transforms, we here extend the theorems, with suitable modifications, to difference-differential equations. The results are an essential step in the development of a general theory of non-linear equations of this type.

With the aim of establishing, under wide conditions, the ergodic theorem of G. D. Birkhoff, the author extends the class of asymptotically almost-periodic functions, considering now not only continuous functions, as he had already done in 1943, but discontinuous functions. Definitions and properties of the extended class of functions are set out, some comparisons being made with almost-periodic functions in the sense of Bohr, Stepanoff, Weyl and Besicovitch. Applications to the ergodic theorem are adumbrated.

The convergence of customary processes of iteration for solving linear equations, in particular simple and Seidelian iteration, is studied from the standpoint of matrices. A new variant of Seidelian iteration is introduced. In the positive definite case it always converges, the characteristic roots of its operator being real and positive and less than unity.

The problem considered is that of the estimation of a statistical parameter from a sample of values of the variate or variates concerned. Reference is made to the method of unbiased statistics with minimum variance, developed by Aitken and Silverstone. The principal result obtained by these authors is generalized, and an inequality involving the variances of unbiased statistics is obtained. Several examples illustrating the theory are appended.

The author has already described a new method of measuring the velocity of light, which replaces Fizeau's toothed wheel by a piezo-quartz. This acts as an intermittent diffraction grating, and it interrupts the beam 200 times more rapidly than Fizeau's wheel did.

The present paper describes the application of the method to the measurement of the velocity of light in air. The total length of path was 78 metres. The frequency of interruption was measured by comparison with the Droitwich radio station. The result reduced to vacuum is 299,775 kilometres per second and is in agreement with other recent determinations, but, as a result of the experience gained, it will be possible to increase the accuracy at least ten times.

A differential equation of the second order, arising in problems of disturbed oscillation, such as occur in frequency modulation, is considered. The nature of its solutions is examined by the method of continued fractions. The cases in which the solutions are periodic, and the regions of stability and instability (lability), are determined according to the values taken by the two parameters involved.

In the year 1815 an anonymous article appeared in Thomas Thomson's Annals of Philosophy (I) entitled “On the Relation between the Specific Gravities of Bodies in their Gaseous State and the Weights of their Atoms ”. Its introductory paragraph illustrates the hesitancy of the writer in its exposition: “The author of the following essay submits it to the public with the greatest diffidence; for although he has taken the utmost pains to arrive at the truth, yet he has not that confidence in his abilities as an experimentalist as to induce him to dictate to others far superior to himself in chemical acquirements and fame. He trusts, however, that its importance will be seen, and that some one will undertake to examine it, and thus verify or refute its conclusions. If these should be proved erroneous, still new facts may be brought to light, or old ones better established, by the investigation; but if they should be verified, a new and interesting light will be thrown upon the whole science of chemistry.”

In a recent paper by the author several unfortunate omissions and misstatements occurred which it seems desirable to correct. I am indebted to Professor T. W. Anderson for pointing these out to me.

The gravitational field of a system of particles was investigated by de Sitter as far back as 1916. A minor alteration to the analysis was made by Eddington and Clark in 1938. The amended value of the potential g44 is the same as that derived by Einstein, Infeld and Hoffmann without making use of the energy-tensor; this agreement suggests that the revised de Sitter argument is correct. In this paper we show that this is not the case, for the de Sitter analysis completely overlooked any possible interaction terms in the stress components of the energy-tensor. We find the value of these terms, pmn, and show that the agreement mentioned above is due to the fact that the volume integral of pu vanishes.