Reading the Principia
Reading the Principia
$58.99
USDIsaac Newton's Principia is considered one of the masterpieces in the history of science. The mathematical methods employed by Newton in the Principia stimulated much debate among his contemporaries, especially Leibniz, Huygens, Bernoulli and Euler, who debated their merits and drawbacks. Among the questions they asked were: How should natural philosophy be mathematized?; Is it legitimate to use uninterpreted symbols?; Is it possible to depart from the established Archimedean or Galilean/Huygenian tradition of geometrizing nature?; What is the value of elegance and conciseness?; What is the relation between Newton's geometrical methods and the calculus? This book explains how Newton addressed these issues, taking into consideration the values that directed the research of Newton and his contemporaries. This book will be of interest to researchers and advanced students in departments of history of science, philosophy of science, physics, mathematics and astronomy.
- Sheds new light on the priority dispute between Leibniz and Newton
- Shows the relationships between Newton's mathematical work and his interests in chronology, theology and alchemy
- Allows the reader to reach an understanding of the main mathematical propositions of the Principia, not by translating these into modern language, but in the style used by Newton
Reviews & endorsements
'This is a clearly written and informative work that brings alive and throws new light on a compelling episode … It is an attractive book and accessible to a broad constituency.' June Barrow-Green, BSHM Newsletter
From a translation of an article appeared in Il Sole-24 Ore: 'Guicciardini offers an original key to the reading of the Principia, which is the mature result of the research of a scholar, better known abroad than in Italy. He is among the greatest authorities in his field.' Umberto Bottazzini, Il Sole-24 Ore
'This reviewer enjoyed reading Reading the Principia.' Applied Mechanics
'The book is a first-rate contribution to the history of science.' E. Knobloch, Zentralblatt MATH
Product details
October 2003Paperback
9780521544030
292 pages
246 × 189 × 16 mm
0.53kg
43 b/w illus.
Available
Table of Contents
- 1. Purpose of this book
- Part I. Newton's Methods:
- 2. Newton's methods of series and fluxions
- 3. The mathematical methods of the Principia
- Part II. Three Readers:
- 4. Newton: between tradition and innovation
- 5. Huygens: the Principia and proportion theory
- 6. Leibniz: not equivalent in practice
- Part III. Two Schools:
- 7. Britain: in the wake of the Principia
- 8. Basel: challenging the Principia
- 9. Conclusion: Newtonians, Leibnizians and Eulerians
- References.
