Back to school!
This is an example of how to calculate polynomials via
successive differences.
The polynomials are used as approximations to various
mathematical functions, such as the logarithm or the cosine functions.
By starting with the initial values
and then performing simple additions, the result R of the
equation for each value of x can be easily (if not quickly)
calculated.
This is the same process the Difference Engine uses, except
mechanically. It is also the same process used by human
calculators to create the books of tables by hand.
The poster on the left is a magnfication of Babbage's original
plans that the builders at the London Science Museum used
in building the machine.
