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A Tentative Interpretation of the Epistemological Significance of the Encrypted Message Sent by Newton to Leibniz in October 1676
Centre Alexandre Koyré-Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris, France
- 1 Centre Alexandre Koyré-Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris, France
Advances in Historical Studies·Volume 03 (2014)·Pages 22–32·Published 28 February 2014·DOI10.4236/ahs.2014.31004
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Abstract
In Principia mathematica philosophi? naturalis (1687), with regard to binomial formula and so general Calculus, Newton claimed that Leibniz proposed a similar procedure. As usual within Newtonian style, no explanation was provided on that, and nowadays it could only be decoded by Newton himself. In fact to the point, not even he gave up any mention of Leibniz in 1726 on the occasion of the third edition of the Principia. In this research, I analyse this controversy comparing the encrypted passages, and I will show that at least two ideas were proposed: vice versa and the algebraic handing of series .
KeywordsLeibnizNewtonCalculus PrincipiaBinomial SeriesControversyVice Versa
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