09-16-2007, 12:43 AM
related to 12.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Although of little importance as a research mathematician, William Jones is well known to historians of mathematics since he corresponded with many 17th century mathematicians, including Newton. He was, however, elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1711. Jones then served on the Royal Society committee set up in 1712 to decide who had invented the infinitesimal calculus, Newton or Leibniz . We should now describe how Jones came to be considered an important Newton supporter in the dispute. (The Royal Society made sure that only strong Newton supporters served on their committee!)
Through lecturing in the coffee houses, Jones came in contact with leading scientists of the day such as Brook Taylor and Roger Cotes. John Collins, famed for his correspondence with a wide range of scientists, had died in 1683 and in 1708 Jones acquired his mathematical papers. These included transcripts of Newton's manuscripts, letters and results obtained with the method of infinite series which Newton had discovered in about 1664. Newton had written up these results in De analysi but they had not been published. With assistance from Newton himself, Jones produced Analysis per quantitatum series, fluxiones, ac differentia in 1711 although it should be noted that this first edition of 1711 did not record either Newton's name nor that of Jones. As an appendix to this work Jones added Newton's Tractatus de quadratura curvarum which was a shortened version of the work on analytical calculus which Newton had written in 1691. The second edition of Analysis per quantitatum published in 1723 did contain a preface written by Jones. Another contribution made by Jones towards publishing Newton's work relates to the Methods fluxionum, written by Newton in 1671. Newton had tried to get it printed over a period of five years but finally gave up in 1676 when Cambridge University Press rejected it. Jones made a copy of the original Latin, giving it the title Artis analyticae specimina sive geometria analytic and it was this version which was eventually published. In 1731 Jones published Discourses of the Natural Philosophy of the Elements.
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Jones' first wife died and he remarried several years later to Mary Nix on 17 April 1731. She was 25 years old and Jones was 56 at the time of their marriage. They had three children, two of whom survived to adulthood: Mary born in 1736 and William <b>{Grand father of AIT}</b> born 10 years later. On his death Jones left a large collection of manuscripts and correspondence which it appears he had intended to publish as a major piece of work. There are many notes and copied parts of original manuscripts to which he had access. Wallis writes in [2]:-
His collection of some 15,000 books was considered to be the most valuable mathematical library in England and was bequeathed to George Parker, the second earl of Macclesfield. His papers were not in the bequest; nevertheless many are at Shirburn, where they have remained (1995) with access extremely restricted. Almost the only permitted publication has been those papers contained in the two-volume Rigaud Correspondence. Among Jones's manuscripts was another projected mathematical book, which his son, Sir William, had intended, but failed, to publish. {Why? Isnt it obvious why?}
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http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/Bi...hies/Jones.html
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Although of little importance as a research mathematician, William Jones is well known to historians of mathematics since he corresponded with many 17th century mathematicians, including Newton. He was, however, elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1711. Jones then served on the Royal Society committee set up in 1712 to decide who had invented the infinitesimal calculus, Newton or Leibniz . We should now describe how Jones came to be considered an important Newton supporter in the dispute. (The Royal Society made sure that only strong Newton supporters served on their committee!)
Through lecturing in the coffee houses, Jones came in contact with leading scientists of the day such as Brook Taylor and Roger Cotes. John Collins, famed for his correspondence with a wide range of scientists, had died in 1683 and in 1708 Jones acquired his mathematical papers. These included transcripts of Newton's manuscripts, letters and results obtained with the method of infinite series which Newton had discovered in about 1664. Newton had written up these results in De analysi but they had not been published. With assistance from Newton himself, Jones produced Analysis per quantitatum series, fluxiones, ac differentia in 1711 although it should be noted that this first edition of 1711 did not record either Newton's name nor that of Jones. As an appendix to this work Jones added Newton's Tractatus de quadratura curvarum which was a shortened version of the work on analytical calculus which Newton had written in 1691. The second edition of Analysis per quantitatum published in 1723 did contain a preface written by Jones. Another contribution made by Jones towards publishing Newton's work relates to the Methods fluxionum, written by Newton in 1671. Newton had tried to get it printed over a period of five years but finally gave up in 1676 when Cambridge University Press rejected it. Jones made a copy of the original Latin, giving it the title Artis analyticae specimina sive geometria analytic and it was this version which was eventually published. In 1731 Jones published Discourses of the Natural Philosophy of the Elements.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Jones' first wife died and he remarried several years later to Mary Nix on 17 April 1731. She was 25 years old and Jones was 56 at the time of their marriage. They had three children, two of whom survived to adulthood: Mary born in 1736 and William <b>{Grand father of AIT}</b> born 10 years later. On his death Jones left a large collection of manuscripts and correspondence which it appears he had intended to publish as a major piece of work. There are many notes and copied parts of original manuscripts to which he had access. Wallis writes in [2]:-
His collection of some 15,000 books was considered to be the most valuable mathematical library in England and was bequeathed to George Parker, the second earl of Macclesfield. His papers were not in the bequest; nevertheless many are at Shirburn, where they have remained (1995) with access extremely restricted. Almost the only permitted publication has been those papers contained in the two-volume Rigaud Correspondence. Among Jones's manuscripts was another projected mathematical book, which his son, Sir William, had intended, but failed, to publish. {Why? Isnt it obvious why?}
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
http://www-history.mcs.st-andrews.ac.uk/Bi...hies/Jones.html