MANUFACTURES.

45

Mami

factures.

cupcti d abord du plan general de Pexecution. Toutes les conditions quejavois a remplir Sect. i.necessitoient l emploi d un grand nornbre des calculateurs ; et il me vint bientot a lapensee“ d'appliquer a la confection de ces Tables la division du travail, dont les Arts de Commerce“ tirent un parti si avantageux pour reunir d la perfection de main-d'ceuvre Peconomic de la“ depeme et du temps."

The ancient methods of computing Tables were quite inapplicable to such a proceeding. GreatM. Prony therefore wished to avail himself of all the talent of his Country, and formed the ££First Section of those who were, to take part in this enterprise out of five or six of theirmost eminent Mathematicians .

First Section. The duty of the First Section was to investigate amnno-staaaljtical expressions which could be found for the same function, that which ^73

:^Z7 a tr id r s ,

" aa llttle or nothing to do with the actual numerical work

When its labours were concluded th» for™,,!™ „ rv.-u-ii.ji., K -

, , , uecl , the formulae, on the use of which it had decided were

delivered to the ’ e

Second Section.- This Section consisted of seven or eight persons having some con-siderable acquaintance with Mathematics , and their duty was to convert into numbersthe formula: pu, into, e,r hands by the Firs. Section, an operation o some abouand then to deliver out these formula! to the members of the Third Section, and revivefrom them the finished calculations: ti,o w. u c ±~ u leceive

means of verifvimr these clll l . beK ° f th “ Second Seotio “ “ certain

means ot venty.ng these calculations without the necessity of repeating, or even of

examining the whole of the work done by the Third Section. ?

Third Section. The members of this Section, whose number varied from sixty to

eighty, received certain numbers from th& , . ,. ™ 10

simole addition and subtraction +v, Second Section, and using nothing more than

simple addition and ubtraction, they returned to that Section the finished Tables It is

remarkable that nine-tenths of this riccc Kod „ c i , , 1118

. , , , • , ., 18 Uass had further knowledge of Arithmetic than its

first two rules which they were thus nciicri , lls

,, c J inus called upon to exercise, and that these persons

were usually found more correct in thoir , , peisons

• i i j o their calculations, than those who possessed a

more extensive knowledge of the subject. F^esseu a

When it is stated that the Tables thnc a , .

some idea may perhaps be formed of fte iZur " ^ hrSe “°

From that par. executed by t he Third class . requiri (he and

the greatest labour and wh.ch may almost be ^ mechanica| « *

entirely exempt. Such labour can always be purchased at an easy rate. The duties of

the Second Class, although requiring it execute considerable Arithmetical operations

were yet m some measure relieved hv a . ^' ilcluu ns,

difficult operations. J h S mtereSt necessarll y feIt “ lh »se more

The exertions of the First Class a™ n , ,

much skill and labour as thev /a ke 7 tore£ l uire ’ U P 0T1 anoth ^ occasion, so

, , . y dfo upon the first attempt at introducing such a method •

and when the completion of a Calculating fw; unu a a metnod ,

„ , 1 , /• ,i x rni - , ^cuiatmg Engine shall have produced a perfect substitute

for the whole of the Third Sect on of enmnntorc f F 1 suostnute

w r computers, the attention of analysts will naturnliv

directed to render its mode of application i v. a - naturally De

, . T t ■• , , . ”P Ucatl on most simple, by a new discuss on of the methods

of converting analytical formulae into number. metnoas