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14

and being the actual intersection of the reflected ray and axis,

let .

Then since is the limiting value of when , we must have

being made equal to in every differential coefficient, or if we consider as a function of the versed sine of , which we will call

The brackets indicating that is made in each coefficient.

and so on, whence

This in geometrical terms amounts to

The Aberration is represented by this series without its first term; and when the angle , and a fortiori its versed sine, are but small, the second term of the series will give a near approximate value.

Note. The above is perhaps the neatest way of obtaining the series for the aberration: it is sometimes done by a method simpler in its principle