Herivel J. The Background to Newton's Principia: A Study of Newton's Dynamical Researches in the Years 1664-84

Clarendon Press, 1965. — 337 p.Although the scientific and mathematical manuscripts of the Portsmouth Collection have been available to scholar for almost a century, it is only comparatively recently that they have begun to be used for the study of the development of Newton's thought in Physics and Mathematics. The present book is thus the first to be devoted exclusively to the development of Newton's dynamical thought leading up to the composition of the Principia. Part I contains studies of various aspects of this development, Part II the text of the manuscripts from the Portsmouth Collection on which these studies are based. Certain of these manuscripts, especially the very early ones on circular motion provide an insight into the nature of Newton's genius in dynamics which it would be impossibly to guess at from the finished form of the Principia itself.Newton's Dynamical Researches, 1664-1684
The main line of development of Newton's dynamical thought.
The influence of Galileo and Descartes on Newton's dynamics.
Newton's concept of conatus.
Tests of the Law of Gravitation against the moon's motion.
The motion of extended bodies.
Order of composition and dating of manuscripts.
Newton Dynamical Manuscripts, 1664-1684Extracts from early notebook.
Dynamical writings in the Waste Book.
The Vellum Manuscript.
On circular motion.
On motion in a cycloid.
The Laws of Motion paper.
Extracts from MS. Add. 4003.
Extracts from correspondence prior to 1684.
The Kepler-motion papers.
The tract de Motu.
Drafts of definitions and laws of motion.
Drafts of definitions.
The lectures de Motu of 1684.