pdf - Roger Gaskell Rare Books

4to: Leibniz, ‘Nova methodus’: pp. 467–473 and Tab XII, in Acta
eruditorum vol. III, 1684: A4 (A1+)o( 4 ) B–4F4 , pp. [10] 591 [16]. 14
plates, several folding. Engraving printed on p. 93 and a few woodcut
diagrams in the text.
[Bound with:]
Acta eruditorum vol. IV, 1685: A4 (A1+p2 ) B–4I4 , pp. [6] 595 [16]. 15
engraved plates. A few woodcut diagrams in the text. A few woodcut
diagrams.
295 x 157mm. Light paper discolouration, less pronounced than usual.
Good fresh copies.
Binding: Contemporary sheep, gilt spine, red and green sprinkled
edges. Heavily rubbed and corners worn but a good sound binding.
Provenance: A few contemporary annotations and some underlining
(not in the Leibniz papers).
First edition. Ravier 90; McLean Evans, Epochal achievements 7; Dibner,
Heralds of Science 109; Horblit, One Hundred Books Famous in Science 66a;
Printing and the Mind of Man 160; Sparrow, Milestones of Science 130.
One of the deWning moments of the scientiWc revolution, the Wrst published
exposition of the calculus. As early as 1669 Newton had independently invented
the calculus of Xuxions, but had not published anything and the dispute over
priority of invention led to one of the most famous controversies in the history
of science. Newton’s supporters claimed that Leibniz knew of Newton’s earlier
work and adapted it, but it is now accepted that his invention was independent,
though later. Leibniz’s calculus was in fact more powerful than Newton’s,
giving continental mathematicians a leading position throughout the eighteenth
century. Newtonian calculus was not Wnally abandoned in England
until Babbage, Herschel and Peacock conducted a successful campaign to
introduce Leibnizian or continental notation in the 1820s.
The seminal paper is here contained in a volume containing two annual
volumes of the journal, together with a tract on numismatics (see below),
making a rather thick volume.
The volume contains the following papers by Leibniz:
‘De dimensionibus Wgurarum inveniendis.’ Volume III (1684) pp. 233–236.
Ravier 88.
‘Demonstrationes novae de resistentia solidorum.’ Volume III (1684) pp.
319–325 and plate 9. Ravier 89.
‘Nova methodus pro maximis et minimis.’ Volume III (1684) pp. 467–473
and plate 12. Ravier 90.
‘Mediatione de congnitione, verite et Ideis’ Volume III (1684) pp. 537–542.
Ravier 91.
‘Additio ad schedam in Actis proxime antecedentis Maii pag. 233 editam,
De dimensionibus curvilineorum.’ Volume III pp. 585–587. Ravier 92.
‘Demonstratio geometrica regulae apud staticos receptae de momentis
gravium.’ Volume IV pp. 501–505 and plate 13. Ravier 93.
At the end of the volume is bound: