The Principia: The Authoritative Translation and Guide: Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy

Inhismonumental1687work,PhilosophiaeNaturalisPrincipiaMathematica,knownfamiliarlyasthePrincipia,IsaacNewtonlaidoutinmathematicaltermstheprinciplesoftime,force,andmotionthathaveguidedthedevelopmentofmodernphysicalscience.EvenaftermorethanthreecenturiesandtherevolutionsofEinsteinianrelativityandquantummechanics,Newtonianphysicscontinuestoaccountformanyofthephenomenaoftheobservedworld,andNewtoniancelestialdynamicsisusedtodeterminetheorbitsofourspacevehicles.Thisauthoritative,moderntranslationbyCohenandWhitman,thefirstinover285years,isbasedonthe1726edition,thefinalrevisedversionapprovedbyNewton;itincludesextractsfromtheearliereditions,correctserrorsfoundinearlierversions,andreplacesarchaicEnglishwithcontemporaryproseandup-to-datemathematicalforms.Newton\'sprinciplesdescribeacceleration,deceleration,andinertialmovement;fluiddynamics;andthemotionsoftheearth,moon,planets,andcomets.Agreatworkinitself,thePrincipiaalsorevolutionizedthemethodsofscientificinvestigation.Itsetforththefundamentalthreelawsofmotionandthelawofuniversalgravity,thephysicalprinciplesthataccountfortheCopernicansystemoftheworldasemendedbyKepler,thuseffectivelyendingcontroversyconcerningtheCopernicanplanetarysystem.TheilluminatingGuidetothePrincipiabyI.BernardCohen,alongwithhisandAnneWhitman\'stranslation,makethispreeminentworktrulyaccessiblefortoday\'sscientists,scholars,andstudents.,