ELEMENTS OF ALGEBRA. BY G. A. WENTWORTH, A.M., PROFESSOR OF MATHEMATICS IN PHILLIPS EXETER ACADEMY. COMPLETE EDITION. BOSTON: PUBLISHED BY GINN, HEATH, & CO. 1883. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1881, by G. A. WENTWORTH, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. GINN & HEATH: J. S. CUSHING, PRINTER, 16 HAWLEY STREET, PREFACE. THE HE single aim in writing this volume has been to make an Algebra which the beginner would read with increasing interest, intelligence, and power. The fact has been kept constantly in mind that, to accomplish this object, the several parts must be presented so distinctly that the pupil will be led to feel that he is mastering the subject. Originality in a text-book of this kind is not to be expected or desired, and any claim to usefulness must be based upon the method of treatment and upon the number and character of the examples. About four thousand examples have been selected, arranged, and tested in the recitation-room, and any found too difficult have been excluded from the book. The idea has been to furnish a great number of examples for practice, but to exclude complicated problems that consume time and energy to little or no purpose. In expressing the definitions, particular regard has been paid to brevity and perspicuity. The rules have been deduced from processes immediately preceding, and have been written, not to be `committed to memory, but to furnish aids to the student in framing for himself intelligent statements of his methods. Each principle has been fully illustrated, and a sufficient number of problems has been given to fix it firmly in the pupil's mind before he proceeds to another. Many examples have been worked out, in order to exhibit the best methods of dealing with different classes of problems and the best arrangement of the work; and such aid has been given in the statement of problems as experience has shown |