or 1·99996164, is less than 2, while an increase of only 1 in the fourth decimal place, giving 1·4143, gives the square 2·00024449, which is greater than 2. To take a more general case: Suppose it required to find the square root of 1·637 true to four places of decimals. The fraction is ¹⁶³⁷/₁₀₀₀, whose square root is to be found within ·0001, or ¹/₁₀₀₀₀. Annex ciphers to the numerator and denominator, until the denominator becomes the square of ¹/₁₀₀₀₀, which gives ¹⁶³⁷⁰⁰⁰⁰⁰/₁₀₀₀₀₀₀₀₀, extract the square root of the numerator, as in (163), which shews that the square number nearest to it is 163700000-13564, whose root is 12794. Hence, ¹²⁷⁹⁴/₁₀₀₀₀, or 1·2794, gives a square less than 1·637, while 1·2795 gives a square greater. In fact, these two squares are 1·63686436
- The rule, then, for extracting the square root of a number or decimal to any number of places is: Annex ciphers until there are twice as many places following the units’ place as there are to be decimal places in the root; extract the nearest square