Page:Memoirs of Royal Astronomical Society Volume 01.djvu/334

 XXVII. ''Observations on the Application of Machinery to the Computation of Mathematical Tables. By, Esq. F.R.S., &c. &c.''

INCE I had the honour of communicating to the Astronomical Society a short account of an arithmetical engine for the calculation of tables, which has been examined by several of the members of this society, I have not added much to the practical part of the subject. I have however paid some attention to the improvements of which the machinery is susceptible, and which will, if another engine is made, be greatly improved.

The theoretical inquiries to which it has conducted me are however of a singular nature; and I shall take this opportunity of briefly explaining to the society some of the principles on which they depend, as far as the nature of the subject will permit me to do this without the introduction of too many algebraic operations, which are rarely intelligible when read to a large assembly.

Of the variety of tables which are required in the present state of science, by far the larger portion are intimately connected with that department of it which it is the peculiar object of this society to promote.

The importance of astronomical science, whether viewed as the proudest triumph of intellectual power, or considered as the most valuable present of abstract science to the comfort and happiness of mankind, equally claims for it the first assistance from any new method for condensing the processes of reasoning or abridging the labour of calculation. Astronomical tables were therefore the first objects on which I turned my attention, when attempting to improve the power of the engine, as they had formed the first motive for constructing it.

I have already stated to the society, in my former communication, that the first engine I had constructed was solely destined to compute tables having constant differences. Prom this circumstance it will be apparent that after a certain number of terms of a table are computed, unless, as rarely happens, it has a constant order of differences, we must stop the engine and place in it