Something More About De Moivre's Formula

Extract

Mr. Baron Maseres, in the preface to his cumbrous work on the Principles of the Doctrine of Life Annuities (1783, quarto), at p. xi., after referring to and commending for its utility the method for finding the value of an annuity on (x) in terms of that of an annuity on (x + 1), has the following:—

“This method was first communicated to me by Dr. Price, but it was published in the year 1779, by Mr. William Morgan, the actuary to the Society for Equitable Assurances, near Blackfriars Bridge, in his Treatise on the Doctrine of Annuities and Assurances on Lives, pp. 56, 57; and it had been published before by Dr Price himself, in his Treatise on Reversionary Payments, Note 0 of the Appendix, and likewise by Mr. Thomas Simpson, in his book on Life Annuities, Prob. 1, Coroll. 7; which last book was published so long ago as the year 1742.