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A open up book of scientific discipline hypothesis published bySir Isaac Newtonin 1687 was long see to be exceptionally rarefied ; by the 20th century , only 189 first version copy were known worldwide . But after years of sleuthing , a pair of historiographer tracked down almost 200 additional copies of the Bible — and they suspect that C more are yet to be discover .
The book is Newton ’s " Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica , " also have it off as the " Principia . " Written in Latin , the book outlines Newton’sthree law of motion , which are still a basis of modern physics , and excuse how gravitative forces shape planetary orbits . First edition copies are so prize that in 2016 one deal at auction for $ 3.7 million , the highest Leontyne Price ever paid for a print scientific Koran , Live Science antecedently reported .
Caltech’s copy of the Principia, owned in the 18th century by French mathematician and natural philosopher Jean-Jacques d’Ortous de Mairan.
A census of Principia copies conducted in 1953 revealed 189 Koran in 16 countries . In the new sight , the researchers tracked down century of long - lose Quran , eventually tallying a aggregate of 386 in 27 nation . They resolve that this scientific chef-d’oeuvre , though famously tough to understand , in all likelihood had a broad hearing upon publication than once thought .
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" The old census assumed the mark run was very little , because they assumed that very few the great unwashed could read the book . So they count on that only about 250 copies were published , " enjoin lead discipline author Mordechai Feingold , a professor of the account of Science and the Humanities at Caltech in Pasadena , California .
Caltech’s own copy of the first edition of the Principia is part of the Institute’s Archives and Special Collections.
" We believe that perhaps as many as 750 copy were published , which means that there are at least 200 or more copy out there , " Feingold told Live Science .
Svorenčík was originally from Slovakia , and for the newspaper he was hoping to identify copies of the Principia in Central Europe , according to a statement . He was astound to find many copies that had not been include in the 1953 census , and Feingold suggest that they embark on a new survey to correct the outdated sum .
In 2012 and 2013 , the research worker go after leads on Principia copy , combing through record book , searching program library databases and call libraries to confirm that books were indeedfirst editionsand not fax , Feingold said . One written matter that was follow to an auction turned out to have been stolen from a subroutine library , which Feingold and Svorenčík quick advise , Feingold said . Library illustration " contacted the auction sale house and some talks take place , " he said . The library must have receive some compensation " because the leger come back on the auction mental block the following year , " he contribute .
Though the researcher located nearly 400 copies of the book , hundred more are likely waiting to be discovered , they wrote in the study . Some records document when Newton sent a book to a colleague , but the trail then goes cold ; such is the font for the book sent to the renowned Dutch mathematician and physicist Christiaan Huygens , whose copy is still missing . " And there are many , many other libraries whose catalogs are not on-line , that we have n’t yet approach , " Feingold said .
In addition to the still - unnumbered depository library copies , many Word are also known to be in individual aggregation . " Those are the ones that are most hard to decipher , because most collectors are individual mortal who do n’t require their name to be mention or known , " Feingold said . " We hope that by assure them through this census that their personal identity will remain private , they will get through us . "
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Dozens of the books ' original owner did n’t just take their copies — they made line in the margins , according to the study . Some readers focused their note - taking on the laws of move , while others wrote in the division about Newton ’s hypothesis of comet or universal gravitation , Feingold said . These scribblings supported the researcher ' conclusion that many people appreciated the book — despite some academics fence that the tome was so complex that only a very few expert mathematicians ever read it , the researchers write .
Finding hundreds of missing Principia copies , many of which were " hard annotated , " help the researchers tack together together how the Scripture was received in scientific circles across Europe , Feingold say .
One strange story that they uncovered stanch from a antecedently unknown copy that had been sent to the German mathematician Gottfried Leibniz . After Principia ’s publishing , Leibniz drop a line several theme refuting Newton ’s work , and he arrogate that he did so without ever read Principia . But Feingold ’s and Svorenčík ’s breakthrough suggest that the philosopher was n’t being quite true .
" After finding his copy of the book and some paper of his , it appears that he in reality did say the book , " Feingold say . " It ’s an model of how tracing the ownership and related report can tell you a great deal about the history of skill , and the story of relation between challenger . "
The findings were issue online Sept. 2 in the journalAnnals of Science .
Originally bring out on Live Science .
