Newton's Principia : $b The mathematical principles of natural philosophyNewton, Isaac
General
Newton's Principia : $b The mathematical principles of natural philosophy
Newton, Isaac
Celestial mechanics -- Early works to 1800; Mechanics -- Early works to 1800
COR. Hence if two quantities of any kind are any how divided into
an equal number of parts, and those[Pg 97] parts, when their number is
augmented, and their magnitude diminished in infinitum, have
a given ratio one to the other, the first to the first, the second
to the second, and so on in order, the whole quantities will be
one to the other in that same given ratio. For if, in the figures
of this Lemma, the parallelograms are taken one to the other in
the ratio of the parts, the sum of the parts will always be as the
sum of the parallelograms; and therefore supposing the number of
the parallelograms and parts to be augmented, and their magnitudes
diminished in infinitum, those sums will be in the ultimate
ratio of the parallelogram in the one figure to the correspondent
parallelogram in the other; that is (by the supposition), in the
ultimate ratio of any part of the one quantity to the correspondent
part of the other.
LEMMA V.
In similar figures, all sorts of homologous sides, whether
curvilinear or rectilinear, are proportional; and the areas are in the
duplicate ratio of the homologous sides.
LEMMA VI.
If any arc ACB, given in position is subtended by its chord
AB, and in any point A, in the middle of the continued
curvature, is touched by a right line AD, produced both ways;
then if the points A and B approach one another and
meet, I say, the angle BAD, contained between the chord and the
tangent, will be diminished in infinitum, and ultimately will
vanish.
For if that angle does not vanish, the arc ACB will contain with the
tangent AD an angle equal to a rectilinear angle; and therefore the
curvature at the point A will not be continued, which is against the
supposition.
LEMMA VII.
The same things being supposed, I say that the ultimate ratio of
the arc, chord, and tangent, any one to any other, is the ratio of
equality.
For while the point B approaches towards the point A, consider always
AB and AD as produced to the remote points b and d, and
parallel to the secant BD draw bd: and let the arc Acb
be always similar to the arc ACB. Then, supposing the points A and B
to coincide, the angle dAb will vanish, by the preceding
Lemma; and therefore the right lines Ab, Ad (which are
always finite), and the intermediate arc Acb, will coincide, and
become equal among themselves. Wherefore, the right lines AB, AD,[Pg 98] and
the intermediate arc ACB (which are always proportional to the former),
will vanish, and ultimately acquire the ratio of equality. Q.E.D.
COR. 1. Whence if through B we draw BF parallel to the tangent, always
cutting any right line AF passing through A in F, this line BF will
be ultimately in the ratio of equality with the evanescent arc ACB;
because, completing the parallelogram AFBD, it is always in a ratio of
equality with AD.
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