Condensation of Determinants by Lewis Carroll

(8 User reviews)   2912
Carroll, Lewis, 1832-1898 Carroll, Lewis, 1832-1898
English
Okay, hear me out. I know the title sounds like a dusty old math textbook, but trust me—this is Lewis Carroll playing a different kind of game. Forget Wonderland for a second. Imagine him, the man who wrote 'Alice,' getting absolutely obsessed with a new kind of puzzle: condensing complex mathematical determinants. This little book is the record of that obsession. It's not a story with characters; the conflict is between Carroll's playful, logical mind and this incredibly dense, abstract problem. It's like watching a master magician reveal a trick that's only fascinating to other magicians. You won't find the Cheshire Cat here, but you will find the same brain that created him, turned entirely toward a challenge that would make most of us run for the hills. It's a bizarre and wonderful peek behind the curtain.
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games, their warfare, religion, and the country in which they live. As a result, on Washington’s Birthday, 1913, thirty-two Indian chiefs, representing eleven tribes, assembled with the President of the United States together with many eminent citizens and details from the Army and Navy to open ground for the Indian Memorial authorized by act of Congress to be erected in the harbour of New York. The Indian chiefs assembled, hoisted the American flag, the first time in their history. This act and the flag gave birth to a thrill of patriotism. These warriors of other days laid claim to a share in the destiny of our country. So deeply were these First Americans impressed with a sense of loyalty to the flag that, again under the authority of the President of the United States, a third Expedition was sent forth to every Indian tribe. The purpose of this Expedition was twofold, the linking of every tribe in the country with the National Indian Memorial, and the inspiring of an ideal of patriotism in the mind of the red man—a spirit of patriotism that would lead to a desire for citizenship—a feeling of friendship and allegiance, to be eternally sealed as a convenant in the Indian Memorial. Here, under the blessing of God, on the shores of our beloved country, where the red man first gave welcome to the white man, this Memorial will stand in eternal bronze, in memory of a noble, though vanishing race, and a token to all the world of the one and indivisible citizenship of these United States. RODMAN WANAMAKER. [The Approach of the Chiefs] The Approach of the Chiefs ACKNOWLEDGMENT FIRST of all, William Howard Taft, President of the United States, gave his sanction to this Expedition, and Hon. Robert Grosvenor Valentine, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, gave his permission to assemble eminent chiefs from the prominent Indian Reservations of the United States, and complemented his courtesy by helpful interest and cooperation. The Superintendents of the various Indian Reservations gave spontaneous and willing service; Major S. G. Reynolds, Superintendent of the Crow Reservation by sympathetic and efficient interest made possible the achievement of the Last Great Indian Council; Hon. Frederick Webb Hodge, in charge of the Bureau of American Ethnology confirmed the data secured. The Hand Book of American Indians made possible the larger scope of the suggestions on Indian dress. The great chiefs who participated in the Council in noble and faithful fashion lived out the history and tradition of their tribes. Heartfelt appreciation is merited and given to all. Since the publication of the first edition of “The Vanishing Race”, further grateful acknowledgment is accorded. While conducting a nation-wide Expedition of Citizenship to the North American Indian, embracing 189 tribes and extending over 26,000 miles, the author was adopted into the Wolf clan of the Mohawk nation,—Iroquois Confederacy. They said, “You have traveled so far, traveled so fast, and brought so much light and life to the Indian that we call you ‘Ka-ra-Kon-tie, Flying Sun’.” THE AUTHOR. PERSONÆ Representative North American Indian Chiefs, scouts, and warriors participating in the Last Great Indian Council, held in the valley of the Little Horn, Montana, September, 1909, with their English, tribal, and Indian designations. CHIEF PLENTY COUPS, Chief of the Crow Nation, bearing the Indian name of Aleck-shea-Ahoos, signifying Many Achievements. CHIEF RED WHIP, an eminent Chief of the Gros Ventres Tribe, bearing the Indian name of Bein-es-Kanach. CHIEF TIMBO, OR HAIRLESS, Head Chief of the Comanche Tribe, bearing the Indian name of Tah-cha-chi. CHIEF APACHE JOHN, an eminent Apache Chief, bearing the Indian name of Koon-kah-za-chy,...

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Let's be clear from the start: this is not a novel. If you're hoping for a hidden sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, you'll be disappointed. 'Condensation of Determinants' is exactly what it says on the tin: a short, technical treatise by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (aka Lewis Carroll) on a specific method in algebra. There's no plot in the traditional sense. The 'story' is the intellectual journey of solving a problem—how to simplify and calculate large determinants more efficiently.

Why You Should Read It

So why would a book blogger even mention this? Because it's fascinating as a portrait of the author. Reading this is like finding the secret diary of a famous artist, only to discover it's filled with detailed notes on plumbing. It shows the other half of Carroll's mind: the precise, logical, Oxford mathematician. Seeing the creator of the Mad Hatter and the Jabberwocky meticulously work through dry equations creates a kind of delightful cognitive dissonance. It reminds you that wonder and logic aren't opposites; in Carroll, they were two sides of the same brilliant coin.

Final Verdict

This is a super niche read. It's perfect for Carroll completists, history of math enthusiasts, or anyone who loves seeing the unexpected sides of famous minds. For the general reader, it's less a 'read' and more of a curious artifact—a five-minute dip into a world so far from Wonderland it circles back to being magical in its own way. Don't buy it for the narrative. Buy it for the strange thrill of holding the two halves of Lewis Carroll's brain in your hands.



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Donald Robinson
6 months ago

The fonts used are very comfortable for long reading sessions.

Donald Ramirez
1 year ago

Text is crisp, making it easy to focus.

Liam Perez
1 year ago

Clear and concise.

4.5
4.5 out of 5 (8 User reviews )

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