Published online by Cambridge University Press: 03 November 2016
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.
* In a manner often blunt and amusing, but always interesting
† Loc. cit., vol. i. p. 305.