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 C 37
3 J

XVI. New Methodof computingLogarithms. By Thomas

bytheRight Hon.Sir Joseplb
Manning,Esq. Communicated
Banks, K. B. P. R. S.

ReadJune5, iSo6,

IF there already existed as full and extensive logarithmic

tables as will ever be wanted, and of whose accuracywe were
absolutely certain, and if the evidence for that accuracy
could remain unimpairedthroughout all ages, then any new
method of computing logarithms would be totally super-
fluous so far as concerns the formation of tables, and could
only be valuable indirectly, inasmuch as it might shew some
curious and new views of mathematicaltruth. But this kind
of evidence is not in the nature of human affairs. Whatever
is recorded is no otherwise believed than on the evidence of
testimony; and such evidence weakens by the lapse of time,
even while the original record remains; and it weakens on a
twofold account, if the record must from time to time be
replaced by copies. Nor is this destructionof evidence arising
from the uncertainty of the copy's being accurately taken,
any where greater than in the case of copied numbers.
It is useful then to contrive new and easy methods for
computing not only new tables, but even those we already
have. It is useful to contrive methods by which any part of
a table may be verified independently of the rest; for by
MDCCCVI. U u
 Mr. MANNING'S new Method

examining parts taken at random, we may in some cases

satisfy ourselves of its accuracy, as well as by examining the
whole.*
Among the various methods of computing logarithms,
none, that I know of, possesses this advantage of forming
them with tolerable ease independently of each other by
means of a few easy bases. This desideratum, I trust, the
following method will supply, while at the same time it is
peculiarly easy of application,requiring no division, multipli-
cation, or extraction of roots, and has its relative advantages
highly increased by increasing the number of decimal places
to which the computationis carried.
The chief part of the working consists in merely setting
down a number under itself removed one or more places to
the right, and subtracting,and repeating this operation; and
consequentlyis very little liable to mistake. Moreover, from
the commodious manner in which the work stands, it may be
revised with extreme rapidity. It may be performed after a
few minutes instruction by any one who is competent to sub-
tract. It is as easy for large numbers as for small; and on
an average about 27 subtractions will furnish a logarithm
acccurately to io places of decimals. In general 9x -
subtractionswill be accurateto 2n places of decimals.
In computing hyperbolic logarithms by this method it is
necessary to have previously establisedthe h. logs. of 2, .- ,
?00, ' &c. of 2 and of lo.
999
* For example, we may wish to know whether the editor of a table has been
careless. We examinedetachedportionshere andthereto a certainextent; if we find
no errors,we have a moralcertaintythat the editorwas careful, and consequentlya
moral'certaintythat the editionis accurate.
 of computingLogarithms. 029
12 00oo &c. their compu-
With respect to the logs. of -,fo 0 &c.their compu-
tation is very easy,* they being the respective sums of the
series -+ 2 X 3 X + 4 X
-+-x- + ix + &c.
,, x
+ +, 3+ + :i +&c.
I
_ +
IO00
X
2 X
I_
??olOS
+
3
X

100031
Io-o3I + &c.
+ &C.

&C.
of which series each is more easily summed than the pre-
ceding.
With respect to the logarithms of 2 and io there are, it is
well known, various ways of computing them, and the time
requisite depends greatly on the practicalhabits of the calcu-
lator. Among other ways, they may be computed by the
method given in this Paper, and with what degree of expe-
dition, may be seen by the examples to the rules, where they
are both of them worked.t

* Ex. H.1. I &

_ -+ X= -+- -+
999 o100 1000o 1
oool3
ist term ,= oo
2d term = ,oooooo
3d term ooooooo000000000333
Sum ,oo01000500333, which is true to the last place of decimals.

t It may be seen there that the logarithmof io by this methodrequiresvery little

work. The log. of z may also be computedfrom the log, of io as follows.
2 - 1024 = iooo X (I + x therefore log. z= 3 x log. Io + log. (x+

.' a-
100O =3X log.-,o+ -r 0
I000
_ x
S 1 ooo
-+t- -&c.
I13ooo1

U u
$30 Mr MANNING'S new Method

containing
TABLE, Lo garithms
thehyperbolic of o, ,, .c
9 99) 999
of and of lo; togetherwith the Reciprocalof the last or
of thecommonLogarithms.
ModulIus
H 1. off
?
,1o5360515655
...
Ih 1. 99 ,lo010050335853
000
h. 1.
999
h, j1.
i, 10000
h. ,000o 100005...
*. oooo=
999 ooooo0 0 0
h. .
hi 1,
--1i" - = 000001
99999
1000000 -
IL I. iOOQOOOO 1
999999
Q
h. 1. ooooooo
9999999
-- *-
100000000
h. 1. 9999999
99999999 ,00000001

0ooo)24(.o24

IZ

2 X1)o00c )576(,ooo288
2
1152
12
3 X iooo )13824(.oo0oo46o8
2
27648

+ X X 04 082944
)331776((ooooo0o

12

, X I'oool )7962624(.oooooooi 59
Sum of odd terms ,o240046095g9
even -,ooo288082944
Difefrence ,023716526648
3X log. o1 6,907755279648
Log. 6,93147180696. Tuet the oth figure
 of computingLogarithms,
and so on; the unit receding regularly to the right.
h. 1. 2 = ,696314718o637
h. 1. lo = 2,302585093217

h. 1. io ,434294481861.
Certain Mhiltiples of the above Numbers; vi . all those required
in computing Logarithms by the subjoinzedRules, and which
are not evident upon Inspection.
IO 100
Multiples of the h. logs. of -, --, &c. Multiples of h. 1. 2, h. 1. xo, and h 1
9 99 h. o1.

I
Doubleh. 1.of =o - 172-o7 1o 1 10o Double -- 1,86 943g62 74
9
triple =,3qGo8546965 triple -2,079+15419 11
quadruple =,4214 4206,62 o quadple. -,= 77258872254&
5ple. = ,5268o2578275 5ple. =--3465735903 85
6ple. =,632163093930 6ple. ==4,58883083822
7pie. =,737523609585 7ple. 4,852030264459
8ple. = ,848841252 40 8ple. 5,544577445o96
9ple. = ,948244640895 9pIe. 6,238324625733
fth. 1. o.
Double hI. 1. -= ,02010o67
100671706 1706 Double 2=4,605170186434,
99
triple ,03015100o7559 triple =:6,907755279651
quadruple ,o040201o343,41 quadple. 9, tQo340o372868
5ple. ,050251679265 5ple. 11,51 29-925466085
6ple. ,60302015118 6ple. 13,81,551o559302
7ple. ,070352350971 7ple. 16,1180956525195
8ple. ,o80402686824 8ple. 18,42o68 o 745736
gple. ,090453022677 9ple. 20,723265838953,
Ofj -
,I000
Double h. 1. - - ,o00200oooo666 Double = ,868588963722
999
triple ,003001 500999 triple z 1,302 883445583;
quadruple = ,004002001332 quadple. --1 ,737 177927444,
5ple. - ,oo5oo250o66,5 5ple. 2, 117 472409305
6ple. ,oo6oo0oo 1 98 6pie. -= 2,605766891 i 66
7ple. = ,007003502331 7ple. -3,o40oo61 373027
8ple, ,o0800400oo266., 8ple. -3 ,4743 5554i.88,
9pie,
p.e ,009004502997 9pl.e. =3,908 6 03 86749
 Mtr. MANNING'S new Method

I. Tofind thehyperbolic
Logarithmof any Numbernot
exceeding2.

RULE. Set the number under itself, to be subtractedfrom

itself, but removed so many places to the right as shall be
necessary to make the remaindergreater than 1; subtract.
Proceedin the same manner with the remainder,and so on
till the remainderbecomesi followedby 2 as many cyphers
as the numberof decimal places you work to; supposeat
the end of the operationyou find that you have removedone
placeto the rightand subtractedbtimes; twoplaces,c times;
o ..-
three places, d times, &c.; then b x h. 1. + c x h. 1. +
9 99
d x h. 1. 999 + &c. + decimal partof the last remainder
??-2
h. 1. sought.
And thesenumbersare collectedtogetherout of the Table;
for b, c, d, &c. can none of them ever exceed 9.
 of computing
Logarithms, 333

Ex. i. Tojind theh. I. of 2 to o1 Placesof Decimals.

2. 6x h. 1. .6321.63o93930
1.8 o
6x h.12. .060302o015118
.~t8~&b~ ~ 99
1.62
.6i e6 x h. 1. ????= .00060003 ...
162 9999

1.458 8x h1.I.L = .oooo800004

.1458 99999
13122 x h. 1.l1
13122 999999

1.18098 decim.last rem. = .ooo0000 41189

118098
82
'io * **h. 1. 2= 693147180637
1062882
1.052253 8
o10525318
1.0417306482
10417o36482
1.03313341718
10o331334171
1 021000283oo09
102100020830
1.010o79020621 79
100o79020621
i.oo0682304o558 ...... 6
Transferredto next page.
334 Mr. MANN:ING'S' new Method
i .ooo6823042558
1ooo682304
.ooo0005822360254
1000582236
1.0004821778018
100oo482177
.00o0s82295841
1000382129
1.0002820913712
1000282091
1.ooo8180631621
ooo10008263
1.oooo820449558 ...... 6
1oooo82o4
.000oo720441354
100007204
.oooo062043415
100006204oooo
1.0000520427946
1000052041
1.0000420422742
100004204

100001204
1.0000020411926...... 8
10000020
1.ooooo 1o4i0o6
1 .00000 1041i g6
10000010

.oooooo000000041
1896 Last remainder.
 of computingLogarithms. 335

Ex, it. Tofind the h. 1. of 1.25.

1.25 . ,3210721031310
.125
1.125 O.. ,010050335853
.1125
1.0125 ... e xh. 1. I000 ,00oo 00oiooo666
2 ..
lo :t~5
'
999
1.0o02375 .. *
3x h.1. 9999
'10 ,ooo0003000oo15000
0oo02375
1.oo00137265 101
7xh.l. 99999
...oo00007000035o
1001372625
1.ooo371252375-,. .* , 000001 ......
ooo0371252 l 999999
1.oo00271215498 decimal of last re-
o000271215 mainder .... ,oooooo168127
M.' 1--f_ i t _''t '4te . _ _
1.00o01711881283
1000171188 llog.
0 required .. .
-?11 . I:?\-
.1 - I
,23 143551306
I- ---III-IIUIICII
I-???I-- 9?CI-UI~

1.0000711710095.... 3
100007117
i .o0ooo611702978
ioooo6i 17
1000061 17
1.0000511696861
100005116
1 o00o00
411691743t

1.0o000311687629
100003116

10000211 6
1.00oo00111682397

1000001 1
I 64
0ooooo11681 I
QOQOO last remainder
01270
90OQQOS last: r emainder.
IMDCCVI. Xx
 Mr. MANrNIG'S noewMethod

II, Tofindtheh. 1. of any Number,wholeor mixt.

RULE.Reducethe given number(if necessary) to a whole
or mixtnumberless than 2, by settingthe decimalpointafter
the firstsignificantfigure, or if the given numberbe 1o or a
power of o after the first o; and then dividingby 2 (if
necessary) till the integralpart is 1.
Find the h. 1. of this reducednumberby the last rule, and
add to it or subtractfrom it as many times the h. I. of o1 as
the decimal point was removed places to the left or right;
also addto it as many times the h. 1. of 2 as there were divi-
sions by 2. The sum is the h. 1. required.
Ex. III. Tofind theh. 1. of io.
I0
- = 1.25, whose h. log. is found in the last example to be
.
,2231143551306
h. 1. 23 = 2,079441541911
h. 1. 10 2,302585093217
Ex. iv. Tofizd theh . . of 5548748 to 6 Placesof Decimals.
4)5-548748 3 x h. 1. = 316081546
.q87i87 100
i x h. le 99
.1-?rn /"
Q9.l- 8 99
2010050335
1.2484,683 x 0.
.9
i>
,00 1000500
12484683 999
1. 12362147 decimal of last
11362 147 remainder ,00oo0145584
1.0 1259323 . 3 h. log. 1.38787 = ,:32777965
10112593 6 x h. 1. o 13,815510559
1oo011467 30. .1 2 x h. 1. 2 1,386294361
1 oo1146 1log. required ? 5
15,59e9082885
;S ;?tPr~?r~e-- ?-

.0ooo1T4558 last remainder.

? Three divisionsby z will alwayssufficc,
 of computing
Logarithms.

Ex. v, Tofind theh. lo of 7 to 5 Placesof Decimals,

4)7,
1.75 S x h. 1-... ,5268025
175 9
1.575 3 xh. l. --.. ,0301510
1575 99
1.4175 sx h. 1.000 ,0020010
14175 999
1-27575 deciml of last remt ... ,o0o6614
127575 x h. 1. ... 1,3862943
1.148175 = 1,9459o102
7 DI
log. r"ONB" ___
=_t~r~Qo4~aqI9?
1148175
5. ... 1o0333575
1033357
1.02302393
1023023
1.01279370
1012793
3..... 1.00266577
100266
.oo0066311
1oo166
last rem. 1.00o66145
From the small numberof subtractionsthat have been ne-
cessary,the log. of 7 mustbe correctto 6 places of decimals.

III. Tofind thecommon

Logarithmof any Number.
RuLE. Find the h. 1. by the above rule, and multiply
h-To into it.
Otherwise. Proceed by art. 2, omitting what concerns the
Xx g
,88 Mr. MANNING'S ner Method

h. 1. io. Multiply into h-', and add or subtract as many

units as the decimal point was removed to the left or right.
lNoe. The multiplicationof a number by is very ex-
peditiouslyperformed by means of the Table of multiples of
h. 1. o'

The demonstrationof the above rules is obvious. Setting

the figures of a number one place to the right is dividing that
number by 10; 2 places, by loo; 3 places, by ioo0; and so
on. And subtracting a number, so placed, from the number
itself is subtractinga loth, a looth, a l oooth, &c. (in the re-
spective cases) of the number from itself; and consequently
the remaindersare (respectively) -?ths -ths 999ths, &c.
of the numbers subtracted from. Let b, c, d, &c. denote as
number !.2 I 100 1000
in the rule; then the original number 1 x 9- x -9 d x
&c. x last remainder. Therefore the log. of the original
number = b x log. '- + c x log. l9- + d x log. '- + &c. +
log, of last remainder. Now the last remainderbeing unity
followed by a certain number of decimal cyphers, its correct
hyp. log., as far as twice that number of places, is (as is well
known) the decimal part itself of that remainder. Hence
the rule is manifest.
A similar method, by additiononly, by means of the ready
computed logarithms of , 4?-, ?,? 1 &c. might, in some
cases, be used with advantage. Let N denote the given
number, consisting of unity and a decimal whose h. 1. is
sought; and let P denote any number less than N, and whose
h. 1. is previously known. Set P under itself removed one
 of computingLogarithms. 399
or more places to the right; add; and proceed with the sum
in the same manner, till you have obtaineda number, N - a
the difference between which and N shall be inconsiderable
Let b, c, d, &c. denote as in the rule.
Then P T x It_
| ??o
XX
r &c. N + a.
Therefore og. N a log P b x log. c x log.
+ d x log. o +- &c., which call B.
And log. N log.log. - log. N+a= log. + B.
Now we may either carry the operation so far that
N
log. N- -aymay be neglected, or we may actually divide N by
N-a, or N + a by N (according as the sign is -or + ) and
add or subtractthe quotient from B.
Various artifices may be occasionally used to shorten the
computationboth in the method of subtraction,and in this of
addition; and the two may sometimes be advantageously
combined together.
It should be observed that, in setting down the numbers,
the last figure set down ought to be increased by unity when
the figure immediately following in the neglected part ex-
ceeds 4
 144 g - 1- 1= .0 - -2

340 Mr. MANNINGtS new Method

of theMethodof Addition. Tofind theh. 1.of 2

EXAMPLE
1.1
11
I Continued.
121 1.991863
i992
1331 1.993855
1.4641 19944
14641 1.995849
1.6o105 1996
i 61 Q51 1.997845
1.771i56 1998
177156 -1999843
1.948717 199
19487 2.000042
1.968204
19682
1.987886
1988
1.989874
1989*
1,991863
From this operationit appears, that
L 167 6 I Ioo o I I _g
o2 2 .OO004A
-1 10x X TI6-O I0
o--00000

Consequently, 7 x h.l. 6x
+h.1l+oh. 6x 0 +
h. I. o_oo = h. 1. 2,o000042
=h. 1. +h 1 4
0+h.l1.(.oooo21)-h..
h.. O2_ 2+
000021.

The methodby subtractionhas many advantagesover this

* Instead of this number '989, it would be more correct to stt down I99o,
becausethe first figureof the neglectedpart, 874, exceeds4.
 of computingLogarithms. 341
by addition. It is more simple, and being more completely
mnechanical,may be confided to the most unskilful without
danger of error. And though additionbe an easier operation
than subtraction,yet the greater facility arising from this cir-
cumstance will not be found sufficient to balance these and
other advantages.