The curious mechanical euclid of William Whewell, F.R.S. (1774–1866)

The origin of the little known and virtually unread work of well-known polymath William Whewell, The Mechanical Euclid, (1837) seems ascribable to 19th century concern with the exact teaching of Euclid. The book probably initially stimulated the interest of Isaac Todhunter and Charles Dodgson who so loudly championed Euclid a generation later. The main purpose of this Note relates to their concern with Euclid and rigour.In writing about one of Whewell's books we do not neglect to observe that this year is the 200th anniversary of his birth.^†