EArth takes 365.2425 days to revolve around the sun. We take into account only 365 days. And an year with 365 days is called as the Common year(february =28 days). The remaining 0.2425 we approximate as 0.25. Hence the error in the approximation is [-0.0075=(0.2425-0.25)]. Keep this negative error in mind because this will be used later.Now after 4 years 0.25 of a day becomes 0.25*4=1 day. So we add a day after 4 years in the month of february making it a month of 29 days. This year with 29 days in february or a total of 366 days in the year is called as the LEAP year. But due to the error of -0.0075 per year, which becomes considerably enough to be taken in to account after 100 years (i.e. -0.0075 * 100=-0.75 of a day), which again can be approximated to -1 day, we remove a day after 100 years, which makes a centurial year (which is not divisible by 400 ) a Common year (non leap year). But again in the approximation done above i have an error of 0.25 (=(-0.75) -(-1)) per 100 years. Now after 4 centurial years this error becomes exactly 1 day (=0.25*4=0.0075*400) which is added in the month of february. Hence every centurial year except for the ones which are divisible by 400 is a non-leap year.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
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