March 18, 2017 Saturday
Bedtime Story
Newton's Principia In Spite of Being a Book on Mathematical Principles was Highly Deprived of Algebraic Notations
In spite of great advancements being made in mathematical
notations in 1600s, it took a while to catch on (as happens with anything
novel).
Even the greatest of the greats did not take a strong liking for
this new development.
Case example being Sir Isaac Newton.
Newton was not a very big enthusiast for mathematical notations as
it was still something very novel during his time.
In his Principia that was first published in July 5, 1687 (with
two more editions coming out in 1713 and 1726), Newton was not very generous
with algebraic notations.
Principia has a very Euclidean presentation beginning with
“Definitions” and “Axioms or Laws of Motion”.
Euclidean geometry if you recall had firmly and unshakably
established itself in the terra firma of the mathematical world.
Not so the newfangled algebraic notations that had barely made its
presence felt then.
It is imperative that I share with you certain sections of
Principia to see the language the Newton used.
He, of course wrote in Latin and so whatever I will be sharing
will be the translated version.
I keep this Principia in my bookshelf though this Latin version
remains totally unread.
This is an excerpt from the second book of his three volume
Principia.
The second book of his largely deals with resistance faced by
moving objects.
It goes something like this.
Book II
OF THE MOTION OF THE BODIES
SECTION I
Of the motion of the bodies that are resisted in the ratio of the
velocity.
PROPOSITION I. THEOREM I.
If a body is resisted in the ratio of its velocity, the motion
lost by resistance is as the space gone over its motion.
For since the motion lost in each particle of time is as the
velocity, that is, as the particle of space gone over, then, by composition,
the motion lost in the whole time will be as the whole space gone over. Q.E.D.
Cor. Therefore, if the body, destitute of all gravity, move by its
innate force only in free spaces, and there be given both its whole motion at
the beginning, and also the motion remaining after some part of the way is gone
over, there will be given also the whole space which the body can describe in
an infinite time.
For that space will be to the space now described as the whole
motion at the beginning is to the part lost of that motion.
And on and on Newton goes.
Stay tuned to the voice of an average story storytelling
chimpanzee or login at http://panarrans.blogspot.in/
Good night mon ami and my fellow cousin ape.
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Another great educator and a teacher that I am aware of is
Professor Subhashish Chattopadhyay in Bangalore, India.
While I narrate stories, Professor Subhashish an electronic
engineer and a former professor at BARC, does and teaches real mathematics and
physics.
He started the participation of Indian students at the
International Physics Olympiad.
Do visit him here:
All his books can be downloaded for free through this link:
For edutainment and English education of your children, I
recommend this large collection of Halloween Songs for Kids:
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