2l6 Al^GKBRA. 



The meaning of logarithms to Napier and Briggswas entirely different front 

 that we now have. They never thought of connecting logarithms with the 

 idea of an exponent, and consequently had no conception of what we call the 

 base of the system. Their idea of logarithm is contained in the meaning of 

 the term itself, which comes from two Greek words meaning the nninher of 

 the ratios. This idea of a logarithm is thus explained: Suppose the ratio of 

 1 to 10 be divided into a large number of equal ratios (or factors), say 1000000. 

 Then it is true that the ratio of 1 to 2 is composed of 301030 of these equal ratios 

 (or factors), and 301030, the number of the ratioH, is the logarithm of 2. In 

 the same way the ratio of 1 to 3 is composed of 477121 of these equal ratios 

 (or factors), and the logarithm of 3 is hence said to be -177121. 



The first methods used for computing logarithms were very tedious. The 

 great work of computing was finished long before the discovery of the log- 

 arithmic series. 



The above note is derived from J. W. L. Glaisher's article on Logarithms- 

 in the Encyclopedia Britannica. 



THE END. 



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