What is Isaac Newton's Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica?

Published by Sir Isaac Newton in 1687, the Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica is a landmark three-volume work written in Latin that lays out the laws of motion and universal gravitation. It forms the mathematical foundation of classical mechanics and is widely regarded as one of the most important scientific works in history. The text achieved the first great unification in physics by demonstrating that terrestrial and celestial bodies obey the same underlying principles.

What we know

• The Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica was first published in 1687 after being authorized by Samuel Pepys, president of the Royal Society, in 1686. [2]
• The work comprises three volumes written in Latin and expounds Newton's laws of motion and his law of universal gravitation. [2]
• Newton used the mathematical methods in the book to provide an explanation for Johannes Kepler's empirically obtained laws of planetary motion. [2]
• Recent research has challenged the view that the book had a limited initial readership, indicating its early influence on Enlightenment science was substantial. [2, 3]

Still open

• Sources note a historical debate over the initial readership of the book, with recent research challenging the long-held view that it had only a limited early audience.

Where to go next

• whoWho was Sir Isaac Newton?
• the bigger pictureWhat was the Scientific Revolution?
• a case in pointWhat does Hypotheses non fingo mean?
• how it workedHow did Newton derive Kepler's laws of planetary motion?
• what followedHow did the Principia influence Enlightenment science?
• an unexpected connectionHow did a book on physics help estimate the solar mass?By formulating his laws of motion and universal gravitation in the Principia, Newton was able to make the first quantitative estimate of the solar mass.

Sources

• [1]Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Wikidata Q205921) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Isaac Newton · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Scientific Revolution · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Hypotheses non fingo · CC BY-SA 4.0