but without writing down the units. But both may be allowed for at once, with sufficient correctness, on the principle of (151), by carrying 1 from 5 up to 15, 2 from 15 up to 25, &c.; that is, by carrying the nearest ten. Thus, for 37, 4 would be carried, 37 being nearer to 40 than to 30. This will not always give the last place quite correctly, but the error may be avoided by setting out so as to keep one more place of decimals in the product than is absolutely required to be correct. The rule, then, is as follows:
- To multiply two decimals together, retaining only n decimal places.
I. Reverse the multiplier, strike out the decimal points, and place the multiplier under the multiplicand, so that what was its units’ figure shall fall under the nᵗʰ decimal place of the multiplicand, placing ciphers, if necessary, so that every place of the multiplier shall have a figure or cipher above it.
II. Proceed to multiply as usual, beginning each figure of the multiplier with the one which