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The Principles of Probability and Approximations in Arithmetic

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2016

Extract

I suppose that most teachers of Elementary Mathematics, when first they broach the subject of finding the circnrnference of a circle, write on their blackboards for comparison

π=3·14159,

3 1/7 =3·14286,

and draw the conclusion that “as these results agree a far as the third figure, the approxinlatioll π=3 1/7 can reasonably be expected to get the first 3 figures of your answer right.” The purpose of this paper is to allalyse to some extent a few practical rules of this type.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Mathematical Association 1917

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References

* In a manner often blunt and amusing, but always interesting

Loc. cit., vol. i. p. 305.