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Mathematical Treasure: Newton on Quadrature of Curves

Author(s): 
Frank J. Swetz (The Pennsylvania State University)

Sir Isaac Newton’s Two Treatises of the Quadrature of Curves (1745) was compiled and published by John Stewart. Commentaries and explanations were added to make Newton’s work more easily understandable to those who wished to learn his theory of fluxions. This is an early textbook on calculus.

Pages 1 and 2 supply some basic definitions and concepts. 

Pages 5 and 6 begin the series of demonstrations and illustrative problems that provide the format for the rest of the text.

Tables on pages 24 and 25 demonstrate the quadrature (integration) of various curves (functions).

 

The images above are used through the courtesy of the Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.

 

Index to Mathematical Treasures 

Frank J. Swetz (The Pennsylvania State University), "Mathematical Treasure: Newton on Quadrature of Curves," Convergence (August 2019)