Cocker's Decimal Arithmetick (original) (raw)
Cocker's Decimal Arithmetick is a grammar school mathematics textbook written by Edward Cocker (1631–1676) and published posthumously by John Hawkins in 1684. Decimal Arithmetick along with companion volume, Cocker's Arithmetick published in 1677, were used in schools in the United Kingdom for more than 150 years. The concept of decimal fractions and the advantages of using them in calculations were well known, but a wide variety of different notations were in use. After surveying various notations, Decimal Arithmetick recommends the decimal point notation introduced by John Napier: