Constructing the Edifice of Mechanics: From Newton to Modernity

This book deals with theoretical mechanics. Newton published the "Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica" in 1687. In it, he sets out the basic principles of physics that are required to understand the motion of the planets, their moons, and the comets in the solar system. It includes the gravitational (inverse square) law, the inertial principle, and the basic elements of mechanics. Since its publication, a large number of refinements and reformulations have been introduced, thereby a...