Diagram in papers for Commercium Epistolicum
Date
20 April 1670
Creator
Unknown, Artist
Object type
Archive reference number
Manuscript page number
p33
Material
Dimensions
height (page): 311mm
width (page): 198mm
width (page): 198mm
Subject
Description
An extract from James Gregorie's letter to John Collins dated 20 April 1670. The diagram relates to Gregorie's proof that a tangent to a rhumb (equiangular) spiral cannot be exhibited analytically.
This volume contains the letters and papers of John Collins (1625-1683), which came into the possession of William Jones (1675-1749), who used them in Commercium Epistolicum, designed to prove Isaac Newton’s priority over Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz in the invention of fluxions.
The original letters were sealed up at the order of the Royal Society's council (25 October 1714) and stored in an iron chest. Further letters used in the 1722 edition of Commercium Epistolicum must have been added and stored with the original papers. These were ordered on 13 September 1737 to be ‘taken out of the Iron Chest’ and entrusted to Jones, who was asked to paste them into a guard-book in one volume (CMO/2/252, CMO/3/73).
This volume contains the letters and papers of John Collins (1625-1683), which came into the possession of William Jones (1675-1749), who used them in Commercium Epistolicum, designed to prove Isaac Newton’s priority over Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz in the invention of fluxions.
The original letters were sealed up at the order of the Royal Society's council (25 October 1714) and stored in an iron chest. Further letters used in the 1722 edition of Commercium Epistolicum must have been added and stored with the original papers. These were ordered on 13 September 1737 to be ‘taken out of the Iron Chest’ and entrusted to Jones, who was asked to paste them into a guard-book in one volume (CMO/2/252, CMO/3/73).
Transcription
Endorsed 'No. 46: p. 127, 128 Commerc. Epist. Edit. 1722. Extracts from Mr Gregories Letters To be sent to Monsr Leibnitz to peruse who is desired to returne the same to you.'
In his Letter of 20th Aprill 1670
Transcribed by the Making Visible project
In his Letter of 20th Aprill 1670
Transcribed by the Making Visible project
Object history
Extract (without the diagram) printed in Commercium Epistolicum D. Johannis Collins, et aliorum De analysi promota (London: Typis Pearsonianis, 1712), pp. 46-47; Commercium epistolicum D. Johannis Collins, et aliorum de analysi promota (London: J. Tonson & J. Watts, 1722), pp. 127-28.
Related fellows
James Gregorie (1638 - 1675, Scottish) , Mathematician
John Collins (1625 - 1683, British) , Mathematician, Mathematician
John Collins (1625 - 1683, British) , Mathematician, Mathematician
Associated place