Description
Book SynopsisIn this book Francois De Gandt introduces us to the reading of Newton's Principia in its own terms. The path of access that De Gandt proposes leads through the study of the geometrization of force. The result is a highly original meditation on the sources and meaning of Newton's magnum opus. In Chapter I De Gandt presents a translation of and deta
Trade Review"A major contribution to Newtonian studies."--Choice "De Gandt's book ... is a lucid and historically grounded essay devoted to Newton's mathematization of central forces."--Centaurus
Table of ContentsTranslator's IntroductionPrefaceConventions and AbbreviationsPreamble3Ch. IThe De motu of 168410The Elements of Newton's Solution10Ch. IIAspects of Force before the Principia58The Diffusion of the Solar Virtue: Kepler and the Calculation of Forces63Weight and Acceleration: Force and Time in the Galilean Tradition85Gravity and Centrifugal Force: The Analysis of Effort in the Cartesian Tradition117Newton and Circular Motion before the Principia139Ch. IIIThe Mathematical Methods159Indivisibles or Ultimate Ratios?159The Methods of Indivisibles168Motion in Geometry: The Kinematics of Curves and the Method of Fluxions202The Methods of the Principia (1): Ultimate Ratios and Finite Witnesses221The Methods of the Principia (2): The Inverse Problem and the Emergence of a New Style244Conclusions265Notes273Bibliography287Index295
