Letters on Astronomy: in which the Elements of the Science are Familiarly Explained in Connection with Biographical Sketches of the Most Eminent AstronomersOlmsted, Denison
Science
Letters on Astronomy: in which the Elements of the Science are Familiarly Explained in Connection with Biographical Sketches of the Most Eminent Astronomers
Olmsted, Denison
Astronomy
that three added to four is equal to seven. By multiplying all the terms
by 2, we obtain a new equation, in which 6+8=14. This expresses a new
truth; and by varying the form, by similar operations, an indefinite
number of separate truths may be elicited from the simple fundamental
expression. I will add another illustration, which involves a little
more algebra, but not, I think, more than you can understand; or, if it
does, you will please pass over it to the next paragraph. According to a
rule of arithmetical progression, _the sum of all the terms is equal to
half the sum of the extremes multiplied into the number of terms_.
Calling the sum of the terms _s_, the first term _a_, the last _h_, and
the number of terms _n_, and we have _(1/2)n(a+h)=s_; or _n(a+h)=2s_; or
_a+h=2s/n_; or _a=(2s/n)-h_; or _h=(2s/n)-a_. These are only a few of
the changes which may be made in the original expression, still
preserving the equality between the quantities on the left hand and
those on the right; yet each of these transformations expresses a new
truth, indicating distinct and (as might be the case) before unknown
relations between the several quantities of which the whole expression
is composed. The last, for example, shows us that the last term in an
arithmetical series is always equal to twice the sum of the whole series
divided by the number of terms and diminished by the first term. In
analytical formularies, as expressions of this kind are called, the
value of a single unknown quantity is sometimes given in a very
complicated expression, consisting of known quantities; but before we
can ascertain their united value, we must reduce them, by actually
performing all the additions, subtractions, multiplications, divisions,
raising to powers, and extracting roots, which are denoted by the
symbols. This makes the actual calculations derived from such
formularies immensely laborious. We have already had an instance of this
in the calculations made by Lalande and Madame Lepaute, from formularies
furnished by Clairaut.
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