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
CASE 1. Let AB be that arc, AD its tangent, BD the subtense of the
angle of contact perpendicular on the tangent, AB the subtense of the
arc. Draw BG perpendicular to the subtense AB, and AG to the tangent
AD, meeting in G; then let the points D, B, and G, approach to the
points d, b, and g, and suppose J to be the
ultimate intersection of the lines BG, AG, when the points D, B, have
come to A. It is evident that the distance GJ may be less than any
assignable. But (from the nature of the circles passing through the
points A, B, G, A, b, g,)
, and
;
and therefore the ratio of to is
compounded of the ratios of AG to Ag, and of Bd to
bd. But because GJ may be assumed of less length than any
assignable, the ratio of AG to Ag may be such as to differ from
the ratio of equality by less than any assignable difference; and
therefore the ratio of to may be
such as to differ from the ratio of BD to bd by less than any
assignable difference. Therefore, by Lem. I, the ultimate ratio of
to is the same with the ultimate
ratio of BD to bd. Q.E.D.
CASE 2. Now let BD be inclined to AD in any given angle, and the
ultimate ratio of BD to bd will always be the same as before,
and therefore the same with the ratio of to
[Pg 101]. Q.E.D.
CASE 3. And if we suppose the angle D not to be given, but that the
right line BD converges to a given point, or is determined by any
other condition whatever; nevertheless the angles D, d, being
determined by the same law, will always draw nearer to equality, and
approach nearer to each other than by any assigned difference, and
therefore, by Lem. I, will at last be equal; and therefore the lines
BD, bd are in the same ratio to each other as before. Q.E.D.
COR. 1. Therefore since the tangents AD, Ad, the arcs AB,
Ab, and their sines, BC, bc, become ultimately equal to
the chords AB, Ab, their squares will ultimately become as the
subtenses BD, bd.
COR. 2. Their squares are also ultimately as the versed sines of the
arcs, bisecting the chords, and converging to a given point. For those
versed sines are as the subtenses BD, bd.
COR. 3. And therefore the versed sine is in the duplicate ratio of the
time in which a body will describe the arc with a given velocity.
COR. 4. The rectilinear triangles ADB, Adb are ultimately in the
triplicate ratio of the sides AD, Ad, and in a sesquiplicate
ratio of the sides DB, db; as being in the ratio compounded
of the sides AD to DB, and of Ad to db. So also the
triangles ABC, Abc are ultimately in the triplicate ratio of
the sides BC, bc. What I call the sesquiplicate ratio is the
subduplicate of the triplicate, as being compounded of the simple and
subduplicate ratio.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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