4-21-24. Thomas Craig to H. Poincaré

Nov. 19 1887

American Journal of Mathematics

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore

Dear Monsieur Poincaré,

I am very sorry that the little package for Jeanne to Ailsa has not been received. I don’t understand how it can have gone astray. I did not address it myself but I gave the address to the silver firm where I bought it and told them to take every precaution so that it would reach you and so that there would be no duty to pay on it in the Paris Custom House. It was not much, only little case containing a child’s knife fork and spoon in silver but I felt great pleasure in sending it to the little daughter of the illustrious man who honors me by his friendship. I met a gentleman here recently, M. Henri Desinger who told me that he knew you. I think he said that he was in the École Polytechnique at the same time with you, but I am not sure of that. I am very glad that you are going to send me another memoir for the American Journal of Mathematics. You will honor me and the Journal very much by doing so. Please send it as soon as you can.11endnote: 1 Poincaré promised to send Craig a paper by June 1888 (§ 4-22-23), but was unable to deliver on schedule.

I read with mingled feelings of interest and amusement your “Réponse à M. Thomé” in the “Acta”.22endnote: 2 Poincaré (1887), reed. Julia & Petiau (1951, 333–335). You say “Je prévois la réponse de M. Thomé”, but do you think he can possibly make a reply when you say “j’en suis fâché, mais cette détermination explicite est impossible”?

I had read his paper when it first appeared and thought his remarks and criticisms rather absurd in the present state of knowledge of differential equations. Hoping my dear Monsieur Poincaré to hear from you soon and hoping also that the promised memoir will not be long delayed I remain as ever,

Yours sincerely,

Thomas Craig

P.S. I hope Mme Poincaré and Jeanne are very well. I should much like to see the little girl and to see you in the role of “Papa”. T.C.

ALS 3p. Collection particulière, Paris 75017.

Time-stamp: " 9.06.2022 21:27"

Notes

  • 1 Poincaré promised to send Craig a paper by June 1888 (§ 4-22-23), but was unable to deliver on schedule.
  • 2 Poincaré (1887), reed. Julia & Petiau (1951, 333–335).

References

  • G. Julia and G. Petiau (Eds.) (1951) Œuvres d’Henri Poincaré, Volume 1. Gauthier-Villars, Paris. Cited by: endnote 2.
  • H. Poincaré (1887) Remarques sur les intégrales irrégulières des équations linéaires (réponse à M. Thomé). Acta mathematica 10 (1), pp. 310–312. link1 Cited by: endnote 2.