Publisher's Synopsis
A valuable work for students of the higher mathematics and one which should be in the library of every actuary, is: "The Theory and Practice of Interpolation: Including Mechanical Quadrature and other important problems concerned with the tabular values of functions, with the requisite tables." This treatise has been prepared by Herbert L. Rice, M. S., assistant in the office of the American Ephemeris, and professor of astronomy in the Corcoran Scientific School, Washington, D. C.
In his preface the author says he has attempted no marked originality, either of subject matter or method, but offers the work as a distinct treatise covering the entire ground, thereby filling the need for a work giving a simple, practical, yet comprehensive discussion of all that is useful concerning Differences, Interpolation, Tabular Differentiation and Mechanical Quadrature, including all tables appertaining to the text which are required by a practical computer. It is not, however, a mere compilation of matter from other sources, for many of the processes and developments are original, as far as the author is concerned, and possibly altogether new. Special care was given to the preparation and printing of the tables, with the hope of securing absolute accuracy, and the computations were all made in duplicate by wholly Independent methods.
Astronomical and scientific Journals which have reviewed the work speak in the highest terms of its value. "The Observatory," published in London, England, says: "This is, we believe, the only complete and exclusive work on the subject. We heartily recommend this, the only text-book on the subject, to the notice of the astronomical and insurance worlds."
"Popular Astronomy," published at Northfield, Minn., says: "This book contains, in our judgment, the clearest, fullest and best presentation of these topics that we know of, either for study or for practical use in the hands of the computer."
-The Spectator, Volumes 70 [1903]
