Magnificent Principia
by Colin Pask · first published 2013
100% recommend
Why HN recommends it
Guided tour through the highlights of Newton's Principia, in the spirit of an annotated classic; suits readers who want help working through the original text and its key ideas.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Pask demonstrates how the Principia sets out Newton's approach to science, how the framework of classic mechanics is established, how terrestrial phenomena like the tides and projectile motion are explained, and how we can understand the dynamics of the solar system and the paths of comets.
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…library. I was wary because it's written by a particle physicist and not a historian, and sure enough it is filled with so much nonsense that I through it down in disgust after a few chapters. Colin Pask - Magnificent Principia. A brief tour of some of the highlights of Newton's Principia, using both newton's geometric diagrams and modern notation. Following the modern notation of course assumes some basic calculus. Highly recommended…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2018?” ↗Reading the original text can be challenging, by I really enjoyed Magnificent Principia by Colin Pask. Basically it's a guided tour of what could be argued is the most important scientific text of all time. I really enjoy books like that, and like Charles Petzold's Annotated Turing. Any…
on “Isaac Newton's Principia Mathematica Reissued” ↗…positivist school of the Vienna circle. very readable discussion of abstract mathematical geometry and various relativity principles, if you don't mind skipping some of the more bloviating bits. Pask - Magnificent Principia. Fantastic overview of Newton's Magnum Opus, although it doesn't give enough historical context to what newton was building on. Assumes some knowledge of calculus.
on “So You Want to Learn Physics (2016)” ↗…Overview of undergrad curriculum by a number of prominent russian mathematicians. Levi - The mathematical Mechanic. Uses various physical intuitions and scenarios to solve mathematical problems. Pask - Magnificent Principia. Tour of newtons principia that includes both newtons geometric language and modern vector calculus version. Stillwell - Elements of Mathematics. Discusses some important classical problems in the history…
on “Classic Mathematics Books for Lifelong Learners” ↗This book is an interesting approach to The Principia: Magnificent Principia (2013), by Colin Pask https://devontrevarrowflaherty.com/2014/08/26/book-review-pr...
on “Principia Mathematica is modern and insightful” ↗If you are interested in reading Newton's Principia, check out the guide Magnificent Principia: Exploring Isaac Newton's Masterpiece : https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BH0VOSO
on “Survival of the Prettiest” ↗…Calculus in a Madcap World" Another just-published book – this is the year for Calculus! Amazon has lost/delayed my preordered copy, but from the author's other work I expect this to be a LOT of fun. [3] "Magnificent Principia: Exploring Isaac Newton's Masterpiece" Sort of "the annotated Newton". Outlines Sir Isaac's history, social environment, and development of the Principia Mathematica. The bulk of this book is going through…
on “Calculus for the Curious” ↗