The Principia

by Newton, Isaac, Sir; Cohen, I. Bernard; Budenz, Julia; Whitman, Anne

• ISBN13: 9780520088177
• ISBN10: 0520088174
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-07-01
• Publisher: Univ of California Pr

Summary

One of the greatest science books ever written (as described by Laplace), it took Newton only 18 months to write and publish it in 1687. Written originally in Latin, in 1729 it was first translated into English two years after Newton's death. The mathematical principles that are the subject of this masterpiece are Galileo's findings into the three laws of motion and Newton's brilliant deduction of the law of universal gravitation.

Author Biography

I. Bernard Cohen is Victor S. Thomas Professor (Emeritus) of the History of Science at Harvard University.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
A GUIDE TO NEWTON'S PRINCIPIA	1	(370)
Contents of the Guide	3	(6)
Abbreviations	9	(2)
A Brief History of the Principia	11	(15)
Translating the Principia	26	(17)
Some General Aspects of the Principia	43	(42)
Some Fundamental Concepts of the Principia	85	(24)
Axioms, or the Laws of the Motion	109	(165)
The Structure of Book 1	128	(33)
The Structure of Book 2	161	(34)
The Structure of Book 3	195	(79)
The Concluding General Scholium	274	(19)
How to Read the Principia	293	(76)
Conclusion	369	(2)
THE PRINCIPIA (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy)	371	(568)
Halley's Ode to Newton	379	(2)
Newton's Preface to the First Edition	381	(3)
Newton's Preface to the Second Edition	384	(1)
Cotes's Preface to the Second Edition	384	(16)
Newton's Preface to the Third Edition	400	(3)
Definitions	403	(13)
Axioms, or the Laws of Motion	416	(15)
The Motion of the Bodies	431	(200)
The Motion of the Bodies	631	(160)
The System of the World	791	(148)
General Scholium	939	(6)
Contents of the Principia	945	(28)
Index of Names	973