Euler, Reader of Newton: Mechanics and Algebraic Analysis

Sébastien Maronne, Marco Panza

Institut d’Histoire et Philosophie des Sciences et des Techniques, Paris, France.
Institut de Mathématiques de Toulouse, Toulouse, France.

DOI: 10.4236/ahs.2014.31003                

Abstract

We follow two of the many paths leading from Newton’s to Euler’s scientific productions, and give an account of Euler’s role in the reception of some of Newton’s ideas, as regards two major topics: mechanics and algebraic analysis. Euler contributed to a re-appropriation of Newtonian science, though transforming it in many relevant aspects. We study this re-appropriation with respect to the mentioned topics and show that it is grounded on the development of Newton’s conceptions within a new conceptual frame also influenced by Descartes’s views sand Leibniz’s formalism.

Keywords

Isaac Newton; Leonhard Euler; Newtonian Mechanics; Classical Mechanics; 18th-Century Algebraic Analysis

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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