Walton, Izaak [Isaac]Biblio.com
Opera Mathematica
16932188Oxford: Oxford University Press 1693. First collected edition. Contemporary calf. Very Good. SCARCE FIRST EDITION OF THE COLLECTED WORKS of one of Newton's most important precursors John Wallis Savilian Professor 1649-1703 containing the first printed appearance of Newton's ideas on fluxions. A staunch promoter of English mathematicians Wallis repeatedly urged Newton to publish his theories before others laid claim to he work for the sake of "your Reputation & that of the nation" Gjertsen Newton Handbook 605. While Newton resisted for many years in 1693 Wallis published several letters from Newton in Vol. II of his Opera thereby introducing the concept of fluxional notation-pricked and dotted letters. In the preface to Vol. I 1695 Wallis refers briefly to Newton's claim to the discovery of Fluxions while Vol II 1693 has the first full account of Newton's invention of calculus. The third volume of Wallis's Opera contains previously unpublished correspondence between Newton and Leibniz the most important items of which are Newton's Epistola prior and Epistola posterior. "These two lengthy letters were sent to Leibniz in 1676 to acquaint him with the main lines of Newton's mathematical development. Epistola prior beginning with the binomial theorem went on to describe Newton's work on series. The second letter also contains much discussion on infinite series. It is best known however for Newton's reference to powerful and general methods he had developed for the drawing of tangents the determination of maxima and minima and the quadrature of curves. These he added he preferred to conceal within a quite insoluble anagram. A second and even longer anagram concealed Newton's claim to be able to solve fluxional equations. The solutions to both were publicly disclosed by Wallis 1699" ibid 189. Vol. 2 of the Opera also contains pp. 669-78 De Postulato Quinto; et Definitione Quinta; Lib. 6. Euclidis; disputatio geometrica Wallis's important attempt to prove the parallel postulate of Euclid also published here for the first time. "John Wallis gave a lecture on this topic. on the evening of 11 July 1663. He had been inspired by Nasr-Eddin's attempt on it which he referred to in his lecture to examine the question himself and his analysis is remarkable both for its originality and its caution. Indeed his view of the matter was to be much more profound than many a later writer's" Fauvel & Gray The History of Mathematics 510. This magnificent and comprehensive edition of Wallis's collected works was financed by and printed at Oxford University. In addition to several 'firsts' including those described above these volumes contain reprints of virtually all of Wallis's great books including the Arithmetica infinitorum and Mechanica Vol. 1 an augmented Latin edition of the Treatise of Algebra Vol. II and bilingual editions of a number of ancient Greek texts including Ptolemy's Harmonics Aristarchus's On the magnitudes and distances of the sun and moon and Archimedes's Sand-reckoner Vol. III. In addition to numerous other mathematical works the four volumes include his most popular work Grammaticae lingua anglicanae his "Treatise of Speech which formed a useful theoretical foundation for his pioneering attempts to teach deaf-mutes how to speak" DSB as well as an important tract on cryptography in which he records the methods he developed while deciphering for Cromwell the coded messages of Charles I. Wing W596 W566 W597. Babson 184. Roberts and Trent 345. see J.F. Scott The Mathematical Work of John Wallis London 1938; M. Baron The Origins of the Infinitesmal Calculus Oxford 1969 205-213; Richard Westfall The Life of Isaac Newton Cambridge 1993 207-209ff. Opera Mathematica. Volumen primum -Tertium - Opera quaedam miscellanea. Oxford: Sheldonian Theatre University Press 1695 1693 1699. Four volumes bound in three. Folio contemporary full paneled calf rebacked to style. Complete with four engravings on three leaves and three portraits Vols. I & II with the same portrait by Loggan dated 1678 and engraved by Burghers; Vol 3 by Sonmans dated 1698 and engraved by Burghers. With large bookplate inside each front cover reading "The Gift of Mr. Thomas Heatley Citizen and Iron-monger of London to the Mathematical School in Christ's Hospital Anno Dom. 1700". A very clean copy with only occasional light browning and foxing very handsomely bound. ONE OF THE MONUMENTS IN THE HISTORY OF MATHEMATICS. RARE. . Oxford University Press unknown books
