Since mathematical analysis is essentially the science of the continuum, it would seem that every course in analysis should begin, logically, with the study of irrational numbers. I have supposed, however, that the student is already familiar with that subject. The theory of incommensurable numbers is treated in so many excellent well-known works f that I have thought it useless to enter upon such a discussion. As for the other fundamental notions which lie at the basis of analysis, such as the upper limit, the definite integral, the double integral, etc., I have endeavored to treat them with all desirable rigor, seeking to retain the elementary character of the work, and to avoid generalizations which would be superfluous in a book intended for purposes of instruction.
