----- Original Message -----
From: "Antonio Carlini" <arcarlini_at_iee.org>
To: "'General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts'"
<cctalk_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 2004 11:42 PM
Subject: RE: Modern Electronics (was Re: List charter mods & headcount... ;
>
> > I've had many an argument with my father over this. He
> > insists on using
> > the binomial expansion. I prefer the Newton iteration, which
> > converges
> > very quickly
> >
> > [ To find sqrt(A)
> >
> > Set X(0) = A/2 (or some other suitable initial guess)
> > Repeat
> > X(N+1) = ( (A/X(N)) + X(N) ) / 2
> > Unti X(N) and X(N+1) are sufficiently close
> > Return X(N+1)
> >
> > ]
>
> There's also a method I learnt long ago
> that is laid out in the same way as
> a long division. I've forgotten it
> because it seemed moderately pointless!
> I've forgotten it so thoroughly thatI've
> even forgotten whether it had a name or not.
> Antonio
I couldn't remember either , but for all those of us who like revisiting old
ground .......
http://www.nist.gov/dads/HTML/squareRoot.html
Gives us the answer. - Yes , I remember now, - it seemed impressive at
the time - still does , It fills me full of admiration for Newton . Remember
that this is only the end product of whatever was going on in his mind -
when you see his elegant proofs for what was the beginning of calculus -
differentiation etc. , you feel extremely humble.
Now , about those pyramids.......................
Geoff.
Received on Fri Jun 25 2004 - 16:27:40 BST