The fourth dimension

44 THE FOURTH DIMENSION

“T am unbroken in my determination to publish a work on Parallels, as soon as I have put my material in order and have the means.

* At present I have not made any discovery, but the way I have followed almost certainly promises me the attainment of my object if any possibility of it exists.

“T have not got my object yet, but I have produced such stupendous things that I was overwhelmed myself. and it would be an eternal shame if they were lost. When you see them you will find that it is so. Now I can only say that I have made a new world out of nothing. Everything that I have sent you before is a house of cards in comparison with a tower. I am convinced that it will be no less to my honour than if I had already discovered it.”

The discovery of which Johann here speaks was published as an appendix to Wolfgang Bolyai’s Tentamen.

Sending the book to Gauss, Wolfgang writes, ‘after an interruption of eighteen years in his correspondence :—

“My son is first lieutenant of Engineers and will soon be captain. He is a fine youth, a good violin player, a skilful fencer, and brave, but has had many duels, and is wild even for a soldier. Yet he is distinguished—light in darkness and darkness in light. He is an impassioned mathematician with extraordinary capacities. . . . He will think more of your judgment on his work than that of all Europe.”

Wolfgang received no answer from Gauss to this letter, but sending a second copy of the book received the following reply :—

“You have rejoiced me, my unforgotten friend, by your letters. I delayed answering the first because I wanted to wait for the arrival of the promised little book.

“Now something about your son’s work.