The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-12-21
'BERSCH'S RUL FOR
SQUAR|NG CIRCLE
Newport News Man PromuIgates
New Mathematical Law.
A COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS.
The Area. Says Bersch, is Eighty Per
Cent. CT he Square ofthe Diameter.
But Shipyard Mathematc,ans
STICK to the Beaten Paths.
Especial Dispatch to The Times.)

NEWPORT NEWS. VA, December 20
| The area Of a circle is equal to eighty per
| cent. Of the square Of its diameter
This is the rule that William Bersch
has evolved after half lifetime of
strenuous figuring and perturbed renec-
ton.
The method by which he arrived at this
conclusion, he attempted to demonstrate
10 committee of expert nlathematicians
from the staff Of the Newport News Ship
Building and Dry Dock Company. but
he was unable to make his demonstration
clear. He is now at work trying to eiuci-
date the situation. 50 as to make it COM
prehensible to others and 1t is likely
that he will spend the rest Of his lifo
at the task.
When the old man concluded his futile
explanations and looked pleadingly into
the sympathetic faces of the mathemati-
clans he had chosen to witness his tri-
unpt. he saw there a verdict which sent
misery into his deep old eyes, and Ftamp-
ed ten years across his wrink!ed dounte-
nance in as many seconds.
BERCH'S CONTENTION.
Mr.. Belsch, If his position is correctly
stated, bases his system upon the hypo-
thesis that the relation between
the hypotenuse of triangle and its sides
is always fixed and definite: that it may
always be obtained conclusively without
a n embarrassing plus or minus He was
unable to demonstrate the correctness of
this theory. upon which his system rests
Sc hew ent home to try to cross the
ponso sinorum by a, route more satisfac-
tory than that taken by the professors
and students since the days when the
bridge was first built.
There is nc doubt that III gropins about
the old man has made mental acqualnt-
ance with some novel fundamental ideas
regarding the present system OF counting
and its relation with the Infinite and the
infnitesimal.
In connection with his theory about the
area Of the circle, some interesting results
are reached by comparison Of the usual
calculations with those made under the
Bersth rule.
a circle having diameter OF ten feet.
for instance, would have, according to
Mr.. Bersch, an area equal to eighty per
cent. of the area Of quadrangle ten
feet square; in other words, eighty square
feet.
AND A LITTLE MORE.
According 20 the method by which the
world has been figuring for the past three
thousand years and more. the area OF
this square is 1854 square feet and a little !
more this little more" being the elusive |
quantity that has escaped mathemat- |
clans during all tho years. 1t is tackled |
on to the area. of any circle, as found
~ the old method. 1t is never missing.
The square Of the radius may be multi
eled by "pi'' run out to a million fig
Tres, but there will always be still cit
Re more No Mathematician, until Mr.
3ersch arrived has ever been able to fig
ire it all in.
Mr. Bersch claims to have eliminated
he little more and to have evolved
1tle that will give definite, fixed area
0 any circle-eighty per cent. OF the
Guare of its diameter.
This eighty per cent, OF course, is al
Ways a little more than the area found
" the old method, the little more nat
rally growing little greater as the Cir
lie grows larger. 1t is seen that the diff
e.ence amounts to nearly one and one
alf square feet in a circle having a
inmeter Of ten feet; 1t would be over
:leen square feet in a circle having
ianleter of one hundred feet.
AN ILLUSTRATION.
II an orange is cut In half the area
( the first surface thus exposed would
G very little larger figured by the Bersch
ystem than it would be figured by the
rchimcdean plan; but If the earth were
alyed and the fiat surface of one of the
einispheres figured out the difference in
rea would be about 934,6cO square miles,
the section to be circular and ,
} have diameter of eight thousand
lilies. II trust were manipulating the
Aploitation Of this new country thus
pened up. it would undoubtedly buy by
20 Bersch system and sell by the Arch
just as now the coal trust pays
he miners by the long ton and sells to
S customers by the short ton. There
Jay be some affinity between the prob
ms. for aught one knows. Indeed, Mr..
ccsch claims that his discovery may also
ucdate the labor puzzle.
In calculating the orbits of planets and
her celestial areas the little more
rows by the Bersch system into gigantic
-oportions. and after wlile accumulates
Il exclusive infinity Of Its own, to be
e:ignated, no doubt, when the new sys-
IN comes into use as The Bersch i1finity.
In the meantime Mr.. Bersch is on the
,ns asinorum. which scientists, while adj
lifting that the circle is an indefinite
opposition. with vague possibility Of
sing cured of its infrmity. have always
id to be very secure structure, with
It d flaw in its construction. However,,
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