Traité de mécanique céleste

Traité de mécanique céleste (English: "Treatise of celestial mechanics") is a five-volume treatise on celestial mechanics written by Pierre-Simon Laplace and published from 1798 to 1825 with a second edition in 1829.[1][2][3][4] In 1842, the government of Louis Philippe gave a grant of 40,000 francs for a 7-volume national edition of the Oeuvres de Laplace (1843–1847); the Traité de mécanique céleste with its four supplements occupies the first 5 volumes.[5]

Newton laid the foundations of Celestial Mechanics, at the close of the seventeenth century, by the discovery of the principle of universal gravitation. Even in his own hands, this discovery led to important consequences, but it has required a century and a half, and a regular succession of intellects the most powerful, to fill up the outline sketched by him. Of these, Laplace himself was the last, and, perhaps after Newton, the greatest; and the task commenced in the Principia of the former, is completed in the Mécanique Celéste of the latter. In this last named work, the illustrious author has proposed to himself his object, to unite all the theories scattered throughout the various channels of publication, employed by his predecessors, to reduce them to one common method, and present them all in the same point of view.[6]

If one were asked to name the two most important works in the progress of mathematics and physics, the answer would undoubtedly be, the Principia of Newton and the Mécanique Céleste of Laplace. In their historical and philosophical aspects these works easily outrank all others, and furnish thus the standard by which all others must be measured. The distinguishing feature of the Principia is its clear and exhaustive enunciation of fundamental principles. The Mécanique Céleste, on the other hand, is conspicuous for the development of principles and for the profound generality of its methods. The Principia gives the plans and specifications of the foundations; the Mécanique Céleste affords the key to the vast and complex superstructure.[7]

Tome I. (1798)

Livre I. Des lois générales de l'équilibre et du mouvement

  • Chap. I. De l'équilibre et de la composition des forces qui agissent sur un point matériel
  • Chap. II. Du mouvement d'un point matériel
  • Chap. III. De l'équilibre d'un système de corps
  • Chap. IV. De l'équilibre des fluides
  • Chap. V. Principes généraux du mouvement d'un système de corps
  • Chap. VI. Des lois du mouvement d'un système de corps, dans toutes les relations mathématiquement possibles entre la force et la vitesse
  • Chat. VII. Des mouvemens d'un corps solide de figure quelconque
  • Chap. VIII. Du mouvement des fluides

Tome II. (1798)

Tome III. (1802)

Tome IV. (1805)

Tome V. (1825)

Bowditch's translation

The famous American mathematician Nathaniel Bowditch translated the first four volumes of the Traité de mécanique céleste but not the fifth volume;[8] however, Bowditch did make use of relevant portions of the fifth volume in his extensive commentaries for the first four volumes.[9]

The first four volumes of Dr. Bowditch's Translation and Commentary were published successively, in 1828, 1832, 1834, and 1839, at the sacrifice of one quarter of his whole property. The expense was largely increased by the voluminous commentary. This was really of the nature of an original work, and was rendered necessary by the frequent gaps which Laplace had left in his own publication. Mr. N. I. Bowditch says, in his biography of his father, that Dr. Bowditch was accustomed to remark, "Whenever I meet in Laplace with the words, Thus it plainly appears, I am sure that hours, and perhaps days, of hard study will alone enable me to discover how it plainly appears."[10]

Bowditch's translation of the first four volumes of Laplace's Traité de mécanique céleste was completed by 1818 but he would not publish it for many years. Almost certainly the cost of publication caused the delay, but Bowditch did not just put the work on one side after 1818 but continued to improve it over the succeeding years. Bowditch was helped by Benjamin Peirce in this project and his commentaries doubled the length of the book. His purpose was more than just an English translation. He wanted to supply steps omitted in the original text; to incorporate later results into the translation; and to give credits omitted by Laplace.[9]

References

  1. ↑ Traité de mécanique céleste, 1798–1825.
  2. ↑ Oeuvres de Laplace. Paris: Imprimerie royale; 1843–1847
  3. ↑ Laplace, Pierre Simon, marquis de. Traité de mécanique céleste, 1799–1825. Paris.
  4. ↑ Laplace, Pierre Simon, marquis de (1829). Traité de mécanique céleste (deuxième ed.).
  5. ↑ Wikisource Clerke, Agnes Mary (1911). "Laplace, Pierre Simon". In Chisholm, Hugh. Encyclopædia Britannica. 16 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 200–203.
  6. ↑ "Review: Traité de Mécanique Céleste par M. Le Marquis de Laplace, Tome V. Paris, Bachelier". The American Quarterly Review. 5: 310–343. June 1829.
  7. ↑ Woodward, R. S. (August 1891). "Review of Tisserand's Mecånique Céleste". The Annals of Mathematics. 6 (2): 49–56. JSTOR 1967235.
  8. ↑ Gillispie, Charles Coulston; Grattan-Guinness, Ivor (2000). Pierre-Simon Laplace, 1749-1827: a life in exact science. Princeton University Press. p. 283.
  9. 1 2 O'Connor, John J.; Robertson, Edmund F., "Nathaniel Bowditch", MacTutor History of Mathematics archive, University of St Andrews .
  10. ↑ Lovering, Joseph (May 1888 – May 1889). "The "Mécanique Céleste" of Laplace, and Its Translation, with a Commentary by Bowditch". Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. 24, : 185–201. doi:10.2307/20021561. JSTOR 20021561. (See p. 196 for quote.)

Translation by Nathaniel Bowditch

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