Newton

I just finished watching a wonderful show on NOVA about Isaac Newton. We know Newton from his Principia Mathematica, Optiks, and his invention of the calculus. He was also an alchemist and extensively studied the Bible and other religious texts. His secretly wrote more on alchemy and theology than on science. He believed that he had disproved the Trinity. He also felt he had discovered the date of the second coming of Christ, 2060.

Newton wrote his Principia long after he discovered its propositions. He did not use his calculus in the Principia even though he had invented the calculus decades before. He instead wrote the Principia using the ancient Greek mathematics of Euclid, Archimedes, and Apollonius.

Even if one knows the Greek mathematics Newton used to write the Principia, the book is hard going. Newton left many gaps in his proofs the reader must fill. How to fill those gaps are far from obvious.

I have made several attempts to master Newton's Principia. I have never succeeded. Many of the gaps in his proofs have befuddled me even though I have spent a lot of time on them.

I have a feeling that I will never understand the Principia in Newton's terms. That makes me sad. Oh well, I suppose it is just another failure in my life.