Fuzzy Systems

Prior to the advent of the digital computer, calculations were often performed on slide rules. By necessity, answers were almost always “good enough” rather than precise because our eyesight and manual dexterity weren’t sufficient to manipulate a slide rule to yield an arbitrary number of significant digits. To multiply, say, π by e you would line up the slide rule at about 3.14, give or take, and then read off the answer next to 2.72 on the upper index. With a little practice, you could generate answers that were within the degree of precision offered in the original problem (here, two decimal places). No one could expect finer tuning than that. Perhaps this is where the common saying “close enough for government work” originated. Today, in contrast, the precision of the modern digital computer is a great asset.