Formulae for multiple tangents to the general surface in ordinary space were obtained at different times by various writers, but the discussion remained incomplete until the advent of Schubert's enumerative method, which solves the whole problem by a purely mechanical process. Schubert later extended the method to general forms in [n], in the restricted case where the multiple tangents have only a single contact. In the present paper the results for three dimensions have been used to build up the formulae for forms in [4], by means of the correspondence theorem on which much of Schubert's work is based. It would no doubt be possible to evolve a complete set of incidence formulae for four dimensions and then to proceed as in Schubert's discussion of surfaces; but the present method is preferable for two reasons. In the first place, all the results have been obtained in a very simple manner; and secondly, a large number of minor results have been found in the process.

It has been remarked in a former paper that perhaps a fuller understanding of the theory of linear groups may be arrived at by considering the real representations. It is sufficient that these be irreducible in the real field. In the present paper we continue this investigation and deal with the angles of rotation; in particular we find the form of the commutator

where S and T are substitutions of order p1 and p2 and have angles of rotation θ, θ′, θ″, … and φ, φ′, φ″, …. If certain conclusions regarding the orders of S, T, and C may be drawn we shall then be able to attack a very important problem—;that of Primitivity. This is in essence very similar to the method of Blichfeldt, since the commutator is the product of

which are both of order p2.

We are concerned in this note with a problem which may be regarded as a generalisation of one which occurs in the theory of Fourier series.

The principal object of the present paper is to give a geometrical account of a certain Cremona transformation of four-dimensional space ([4]) into itself. The transformation in question is analogous to the cubo-cubic transformation of [3] which is obtained by drawing cubic surfaces through a twisted sextic curve of genus three, . A similar transformation, in space of any number of dimensions, has been described analytically in a note by Godeaux; and most of our work in the present paper extends to the general case. The case of four dimensions is studied here as being less abstract, and more easily susceptible of geometrical treatment; in the general case it is less simple to dispense completely with algebraical methods. We shall see that the various loci which arise in the course of the work are already well known.

The Heine-Borel Theorem for one-dimensional intervals may be enunciated as follows:

(A) If a set D of intervals, all in the closed interval (a, b), be such that every point of (a, b) is an interior point of at least one interval of the set D (the end points a, b being regarded as interior to an interval when either of them is an end point of such interval), then a finite set E of intervals all belonging to D exists such that every point of (a, b) is interior to at least one interval of E.

Let c0, c1,…, cn,…be a sequence of real constants, and ƒ0(x), ƒ1(x),…, ƒn(x),… a sequence of functions defined, for example, in the interval (0, 1). In this paper we shall investigate some of the properties of the series

which may be obtained from the standard series

by interchanging the signs of the terms in a quite arbitrary way.

We consider in space [3] a curve C of order n and genus p without multiple points. If we represent the lines of [3] by the points of a quadric Ω in [5], the chords of C will be represented by the points of a surface F of order (n−1)2−p lying on Ω. This surface has a triple curve M (with multiple points) corresponding to the ruled surface of trisecants of C (and the quadrisecants) of order ⅓(n−1)(n−2)(n−3)−p(n−2). It is the object of this note to find the genera of M and of a prime section ϑ of F; these being also the genera of the ruled surface of trisecants of C and of the ruled surface of chords of C which belong to a linear complex.

An electron, according to relativity quantum theory, has two different kinds of states of motion, those for which the kinetic energy is positive and those for which it is negative. Only the former, of course, can correspond to actual electrons as observed in the laboratory. The latter, however, must also have a physical meaning, since the theory predicts that transitions will take place from one kind to the other. It has recently been proposed that one should assume that nearly all the possible states of negative energy are occupied, with just one electron in each state in accordance with Pauli's exclusion principle, and that the unoccupied states or ‘holes’ in the negative-energy distribution should be regarded as protons. According to these ideas, when an electron of positive energy makes a transition into one of the unoccupied negative-energy states, we have an electron and proton disappearing simultaneously, their energy being emitted in the form of electromagnetic radiation. The object of the present paper is to calculate the frequency of occurrence of these processes of annihilation of electrons and protons.

For dealing with atoms involving many electrons the accurate quantum theory, involving a solution of the wave equation in many-dimensional space, is far too complicated to be practicable. One must therefore resort to approximate methods. The best of these is Hartree's method of the self-consistent field. Even this, however, is hardly practicable when one has to deal with very many electrons, so that one then requires a still simpler and rougher method. Such a method is provided by Thomas' atomic model, in which the electrons are regarded as forming a perfect gas satisfying the Fermi statistics and occupying the region of phase space of lowest energy. This region of phase space is assumed to be saturated, with two electrons with opposite spins in each volume (2πh)3, and the remainder is assumed to be empty. Although this model hitherto has not been justified theoretically, it seems to be a plausible approximation for the interior of a heavy atom and one may expect it to give with some accuracy the distribution of electric charge there.

It has long been known that positive ions are capable of ejecting electrons from a metal surface, and it has recently been shown by Oliphant that metastable atoms of helium are capable of producing the same effects. In view of the importance of these phenomena in the theory of discharge processes and of their intrinsic interest, it is desirable to consider the theory of the effect in the light of the Sommerfeld theory of metals and the analytic methods of wave mechanics.

It is well known that the rotational specific heat of a diatomic gas is given by

where R is the gas constant, σ = h2/8π2AKT, h is Planck's constant, T is the absolute temperature, K is Boltzmann's constant, and A is the moment of inertia of the molecule.

According to the views which we expressed recently (Proc. Roy. Soc. 1929, 124 A, 322) the solid condensed, liquid condensed, expanded and vaporous types of unimolecular films on the surface of aqueous solutions are the two-dimensional analogues of the solid, liquid crystal or smectic, liquid and vapour states of bulk matter. The previously-unsuspected observation that the films show triple point phenomena supports these conclusions.

Experiments on the deformation of soap bubbles in an electric field show that until the bubble begins rapid vibrations there is no difference between positive and negative bubbles.

The positive bubble always bursts very shortly after beginning to vibrate even when resting upon a large supply of soap solution.

The negative bubble, however, when resting on ample soap solution, continues vibrating until a much higher field is reached and usually does not burst until some protuberance on the positive plate allows a spark to pass, which may then strike and destroy the bubble.

The values of the field for which a particular bubble begins rapid vibrations, so that in continuous light it appears to be conical, are found to be the same within experimental error for both positive and negative bubbles. The fields for bubbles of different sizes are found to vary inversely as the square root of the radius.

Photographs are given illustrating the shape of bubbles in various fields.

These experiments were carried out at the suggestion of Professor C. T. R. Wilson, and I am greatly indebted to him for his continued advice and interest throughout their progress.