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1812
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According to Enros (1979), p.103, on 1812, May 7,
seven students of Cambridge and a recent graduate met and decided to form the
Analytical Society. Four days later, on 1812, May 11, at the first
formal meeting of the Society, several other people joined the Society.
Enros (1979), pp.105-106 notes that the goal of the
Society was to promote the analytical approach in the differential and integral
calculus; they discouraged the use of geometrical demonstrations and the
fluxional notation of Isaac Newton (1643-1727).
Enros (1979), p.107 points out that almost all of the
members of the Society were undergraduate students at Cambridge, but that the
emphasis of the Society was on mathematical research.
According to Enros (1979), p.109, the two leading
members of the Society were John Herschel (1792-1871) (the only child
of the astronomer William Herschel (1738-1822)), and
Charles Babbage (1791-1871).
Enros (1979), p.121 suggests that the founders and
early members of the Society were motivated to form the Society mainly
because of their common interest in the analytical approach to calculus,
and their dissatisfaction with the way in which calculus was taught at Cambridge.
He goes on to say that the goal of the Society was not to reform mathematical
studies in Cambridge, but rather to help promote analysis.
According to Enros (1979), p.143, in 1812, November,
the members of the Society decided to publish a volume of their
Memoirs.
As it happened, the only contributors to the volume were Herschel and
Babbage. Enros (1979), p.145 notes that this
volume was published in late November of 1813.
Enros (1979), p.149 indicates that the volume was
comprised of three memoirs: one by Babbage and two by Herschel.
In addition, the volume contained a Preface, giving a brief history of pure
analysis, written mostly by Babbage
(Enros (1979), p.152).
Enros (1979), pp.157-158 refers to the dissolution of
the Society at the end of 1813, evidently because it was a society
composed of students, but not related to student interests.
According to Enros (1979), p.193, in 1817
Babbage and Herschel considered the possibility of reviving the
Analytical Society, perhaps based in London, and issuing a second
volume of the Memoirs. But nothing came of these proposals.
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