The achievement of Isaac Newton. An essay on the occasion of the three hundredth anniversary of the Principia (Q1099145)

In this essay to celebrate the tercentenary of the publication of the Principia in 1687, the author gives a brief account, intended for the general reader, of some of the contents of Newton's work together with a description of its mathematical style. Besides the central theme of the application of the science of dynamics to the problems of orbital motion, particular attention is given to Newton's work on the velocity of sound, which serves to illustrate his understanding of the necessity of a precise correlation between theory and experiment. The essay includes illustrations of three portraits of Newton.