Gauss's first argument for least squares (Q1205938)

Many historians recently have found Gauss's first publication on least squares (Theoria Motus (1809)) logically confusing. The paper aims at showing that these analyses rest on a misunderstanding of the actual structure of the argument. After the introduction, the paper discusses the basic principles behind Gauss's argument, then the basic structure of the argument. The final two sections discuss the Boscovich-Laplace method and Gauss's argument against this method.