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The Principia: Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy
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In his monumental 1687 work Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, known familiarly as the Principia, Isaac Newton laid out in mathematical terms the principles of time, force, and motion that have guided the development of modern physical science. Even after more than three centuries and the revolutions of Einsteinian relativity and quantum mechanics, Newtonian phy
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Paperback, 991 pages
Published
October 20th 1999
by University of California Press
(first published July 1687)
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Of course I have never read the entire text of this monumental work. I did read several parts of it in the period 1972-1974 when I was studying the History & Philosophy of Science at the University of Melbourne, and still have the two volume paperback set printed by the University of California Press in 1974 (originally published by UC in 1934).
There are a lot of mathematical proofs scattered throughout the volumes, which were mostly less interesting to me than parts I could read as simply liter ...more
There are a lot of mathematical proofs scattered throughout the volumes, which were mostly less interesting to me than parts I could read as simply liter ...more
It is shown in the Scholium of Prop. 22, Book II, that at the height of 200 miles above the earth the air is more rare than it is at the surface of the earth in the ratio of 30 to 0.0000000000003998, or as 75,000,000,000,000 to 1, nearly.
Marking this book as “read” is as much an act of surrender as an accomplishment. Newton’s reputation for difficulty is well-deserved; this is not a reader-friendly book. Even those with a strong background in science and mathematics will, I suspect, need so ...more
I tried. But this is Newton using geometry to explain the calculus behind his theory of gravity. Every few pages, between the charts and equations, he writes a one or two sentence introduction to the proposition about to be proved. I understood those. Mostly. And I could see this is where Newton’s Laws of Motions come from. His proofs are beyond me though.
Interestingly, one of the few other things I could understand, beyond his Preface, was the General Scholium at the end. After describing the h ...more
Interestingly, one of the few other things I could understand, beyond his Preface, was the General Scholium at the end. After describing the h ...more
Aug 05, 2013
Conrad
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
science-physics,
mathematics
First, A Clarification: The publication I have is the hardcover revision by Florian Cajori of Andrew Motte's 1729 English translation, copyrighted in 1934 by the Regents of the University of California, and published by UC Berkeley and UCLA Press.
I should also note that, although I have read Newton's Principia several times over several years and for various reasons, I doubt I have ever completed the whole book. To do so would be advisable only under limited circumstances.
For whatever reason, Ne ...more
I should also note that, although I have read Newton's Principia several times over several years and for various reasons, I doubt I have ever completed the whole book. To do so would be advisable only under limited circumstances.
For whatever reason, Ne ...more
Newton unleashed one of the most startling scientific undertakings in history with his seemingly simple question posed in this hallowed treatise: what would happen if seven people representing various socio-economic strata of American life were stranded together on a desert island following a mishap during a three-island tour?
In the centuries since the publication of this philosophical juggernaut, men and women have agonized over the fundamental question of whether to sleep with Ginger or Mary A ...more
In the centuries since the publication of this philosophical juggernaut, men and women have agonized over the fundamental question of whether to sleep with Ginger or Mary A ...more
One of the most intelligent and influential books of all time. Period. This is an older read I remember fondly enough to rate the full 5 stars even though it has been a while.
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This book, written by Isaac Newton in 1588, served as the foundation of physics for more than 300 years, or up to the time Einstein developed relativity theory. The fact that it is still in print more than 400 years after being written puts it in nearly the same class as the bible. One does not actually read this book so much as marvel at it. The book is chock full of hundreds of geometric diagrams which essentially deal with systematic measurement and calculation. The thing that strikes one mos
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The Principia (1687) was Isaac Newton's grand synthesis of (1) Copernicus' heliocentric theory, (2) Kepler's three planetary laws, (3) Galilei's study's of motion and forces and (4) Netwon's own mathematical analysis. It was more than this though; it was the first philosophical system of the world since Aristotle's philosophy (which had been used by christian theologians since the 12th century as the system of the world).
Newton writes this book in the style of Euclidean geometry: starting with a ...more
Newton writes this book in the style of Euclidean geometry: starting with a ...more
Dec 17, 2013
Chris Duval
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
science-engineering-technology
The original book is one of the foundational books for modernity, expounding both mechanics and the calculus while explaining astronomy. (The little digression at the end into theology can be ignored.)
One can imagine an e-edition of this book where, as one reads the description of the ratio of this or that, the relevant lines on the diagram were highlighted. Even better, when areas are described by line segments belonging to the same line, the e-edition could add a side diagram with links to the ...more
One can imagine an e-edition of this book where, as one reads the description of the ratio of this or that, the relevant lines on the diagram were highlighted. Even better, when areas are described by line segments belonging to the same line, the e-edition could add a side diagram with links to the ...more
Jan 19, 2014
Dipesh
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Newton's followers
Recommended to Dipesh by:
Sir Issac Newton
- an ingenious and energetic builder who's astonishingly brilliant at composing gorgeous monuments of the most intensely clever design. Sometimes these appear as great books like the Principia itself. Sometimes they appear in experiments. But we would be wrong to look for a single key which unlocks the whole mystery of Isaac Newton.
The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy (1729) ... An English translation by Andrew Motte, based on the 1726 3rd edition of Philosophiae Naturalis Principia ...more
The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy (1729) ... An English translation by Andrew Motte, based on the 1726 3rd edition of Philosophiae Naturalis Principia ...more
This book stands as one of the great monuments of science. If you can peer through the ponderous geometric proofs of Newton's physical principles, there is an elegance to his theories that transcends mere science and mathematics and touches the sublime! He actually formulated his theories using his newly-invented methods of Calculus, but few educated readers of his day understood the Calculus, so he proved his ideas using the methods of geometry (which all educated persons knew). We owe much of
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I don't want to create a whole new shelf for this, but I didn't read it - I gave up after reading as far as I could. My giving up has nothing to do of course with this historical book of the highest importance. However, given that the subject is complex and the language arcane I am afraid I would need an interpreter for both concept and language.
I'll stick to learning my physics from more modern sources. I love reading original sources, and for the things I could grasp this book was very intrigu ...more
I'll stick to learning my physics from more modern sources. I love reading original sources, and for the things I could grasp this book was very intrigu ...more
I stopped reading it after the first couple dozen pages. It's a brilliant book, but boy, he did not try at all to make it accessible. He gives a few hints as to the importance of his subject matter at the very beginning, but then he just launches into some very dry geometric proofs and continues that way for what looks like the vast majority of the book. He doesn't really tell you what the destination is, so it's hard to follow him on a journey that is such a slog. The ideas, of course, are worl
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Hard going since Newton was so shy about using easy calculus when hard analytic geometry could do the job. Still, this is one of the most important books ever written and anyone with an interest in the history of science (or in seeing Newton draw up an epistemology at the start of book three to keep his critics from savaging him like they did with his Optics) should carve out a few months, get a bunch of paper, and go to.
This book helps me a lot.
To see how the great man thought...
Another one for future purchase. Ah, Isaac Newton, how you woo me with your writings on gravity...
Therefore, He was a real genius.
Sir Isaac Newton,
Chapeau!
Sir Isaac Newton,
Chapeau!
This book must be among the pillars underlying modern thought since it first introduced calculus. The middle part is very dry, as Newton himself admits. But it is fun to read Newton's Laws of Motion as he originally wrote them and how he arrived at them. For instance, I remember one of my high school teachers saying somthing about when we state Newton's third law it is pretty short, but Newton was very long winded and technical. Not so! "To every action there is always opposed an equal reaction.
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What can top this?!? Laws of motion. F=ma rules! (Though quantum mechanics have proven it to be fundamentally false.) And calculus?!? Pure genius. The thought of one human mind creating such an elegant tool to calculate everything from force to economics to anything requiring calculations of rate of change 'almost' makes being human worthwhile. Poetry at its most finest. Almost makes one believe there must be a god.
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It is a rare pleasure to sit down and read a book upon which your entire culture owes its existence. This would be a five star book, but I threw the other star ninja-style at the editor who gave primacy to Hawking's name on the binding.
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This book is epic. I once spilled glucosamine on it and my soul was ripped from my body by a jealous god.
Who am I kidding? I never read more than 10 pages of this masterpiece of arcane physics. Still, a book for the millenia.
Newton interjects philosophy and debate into math, making theory easier to accept than when handed down for rote memorization in textbooks hundreds of years later.
An open door into the mind of the man who revolutionized the way to think about mathematics and physical science. It is technical.
One of the densest books that I've ever read, but also the most elegant and structured.
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Jan 12, 2020
Robert Smith
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
mathematics-general
I was very excited for the release of the 2016 edition of the Principia. Edited by I. Bernard Cohen, Anne Whitman, and Julia Budenz, it is to date the best translation of the seminal work by Newton. The editors are very explicit in how they approached the original manuscript, highlighting a number of significant nuances. In their prefacing note, they also offer some wonderful insights into the history of the various proceeding translations by Thorpe, Motte-Cajori, and others, including extracts
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While this is the most important book in all of science, I must caution you , this is a tough read . I recommend that you know calculus and classical mechanics prior (and euclidean geometry is a MUST), Newton doesnt use any familiar calculus notation at all , and doesnt make it easy to read. However , credit where credit is due , the way he structures the book is incredible , written in the style of an ancient greek text where he begins with axioms and definitions and then proceeds to prove theo
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We are in 1687, Newton just climbed Euclid's shoulder to show us how bodies move (nothing sexy, though) using geometry. The show starts with three axioms also called "the laws of motion". From these three, he goes building a tight knitted set of theorems about bodies interacting with each other through invisible forces. The whole thing is of course demonstrated using geometrical arguments. SEVERAL abstract arguments; i.e. tons of ratios including the inverse square law (gravity). He often tries
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| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B.Sc. Maths College in Bareilly | 1 | 1 | Aug 17, 2019 01:00AM | |
| online maths tutors | 1 | 1 | Apr 26, 2017 11:39AM | |
| Principia editors contributions? | 1 | 8 | Dec 25, 2012 08:45PM |
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Sir Isaac Newton, FRS , was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, and alchemist. His Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica, published in 1687, is considered to be the most influential book in the history of science. In this work, Newton described universal gravitation and the three laws of motion, laying the groundwork for classical mechanics, which dominated
...more
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“This most beautiful system of the sun, planets and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being...
This Being governs all things, not as the soul of the world, but as Lord over all; and on account of his dominion he is wont, to be called Lord God παντοκρατωρ or Universal Ruler.”
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This Being governs all things, not as the soul of the world, but as Lord over all; and on account of his dominion he is wont, to be called Lord God παντοκρατωρ or Universal Ruler.”
“God without dominion, providence, and final causes, is nothing else but Fate and Nature. Blind metaphysical necessity, which is certainly the same always and everywhere, could produce no variety of things. All that diversity of natural things which we find suited to different times and places could arise from nothing but the ideas and will of a Being necessarily existing.”
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