Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (1822)

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In his monumental 1687 work, Isaac Newton laid out the principles of time, force, and motion that have guided modern physical science. Despite the advancements of Einsteinian relativity and quantum mechanics over the past three centuries, Newtonian physics still explains many observed phenomena and is essential for determining the orbits of space vehicles. This new translation, the first in 270 years, is based on the third (1726) edition, the final version approved by Newton. It includes extracts from earlier editions, corrects previous errors, and updates archaic English to contemporary prose and mathematical forms. Newton's principles encompass acceleration, deceleration, inertial movement, fluid dynamics, and the motions of celestial bodies. This groundbreaking work not only revolutionized scientific investigation methods but also established the three laws of motion and the law of universal gravity, clarifying the Copernican system as revised by Kepler and resolving controversies surrounding it. The accompanying Guide to the work by I. Bernard Cohen, along with his and Anne Whitman's translation, aims to make this seminal text accessible to today’s scientists, scholars, and students.