17 Drummond Place,
4.45 P.M.

My dear Sir,

On looking at Salmon, I find I was quite right. If U be a homogeneous function of any number of variables its Hessian is [maths expressions between two vertical lines]

Hence make the given expression homogeneous & we have

U = 4x³ + 9x²y + 18xy² + 17y³

and the Hessian is [mathematical expressions between two vertical lines]

w^h, by putting y = 1 & neglecting the numerical factor, becomes

[mathematical expression] (4x+3)(6x+17) - (3x+6y)² as in the [text?].

Yours truly
P. G. Tait.

H. F. Talbot Esq^re

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Envelope:

[in another hand: Matte matie?]
H. Fox Talbot Esq^re.
13 Great Stuart Street.
[Postmark:] 60 Edinburgh AP 11 71