Letter from Newton to John Collins, dated 13 July 1672

Author: Isaac Newton

Source: MS Add. 9597/2/18/23, Cambridge University Library, Cambridge, UK

Published online: February 2013

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- Revision History
  - 19 June 2012
    - Daniele Cassisa started tagged transcription
  - 15 October 2012
    - Catalogue information compiled from CUL Janus Catalogue by Michael Hawkins
  - 15 February 2013
    - Proofed by Robert Iliffe
  - 25 February 2013
    - Code audit by Michael Hawkins
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<23r>

Stoake. July 12|3|^th. 1672.

S^r

I think I told you |y^t| I had altered my resolution of printing my Dioptrick Lectures. And for y^e exercise about Infinite series I am not yet resolved, not knowing when I shall proceed to finish it. I will inquire of some of o^r Booksellers whether they will purchase M^r Pitts his copy of Kinckhuysen & if not I will send it you. In the meane while I would know whether M^r Pitts thinks it will be more advantageous to prind|t| y^e Author without alteration, or to insert those notes w^ch you formerly saw, y^t I may according send them w^th y^e Copy or detain them. M^r Gregorys Problem of finding y^e solidity of the second segments of a Sphere & yo^rs of finding the surfaces of i{illeg}|n|clined round solids may be solved divers ways by infinite sed|r|ies, as I find by considering them in generall, but I foresee the calculations are intricate & unpleasant w^ch has made me neglect them, not thinking them worth transmitting to you. If I ever applyed Gund|t|ers Sector to the resolving of affected æquations it hath now slipt out of my memory. Possibly it might be Gunters line w^ch being set upon 3 or 4 severall rulers is of ready use for finding y^e 2 or 3 first figures of any affected æquatio{n} but there is no difficulty in y^e invention. And if it be y^e same w^ch you meane, you may command it. The way of resolving Problems \æquations/ of 5 or 6 dimensions, by a locus linearis was I beleive by the intersection of that & a Conick Section, something after the manner y^t Des-Cartes hath <23v> done it, but more conveniently in my opinion, because the same locus linearis once described will serve for y^e resolving of all Problems \Equations of those dimensions/. And as I remember the calculations to y^t intent are shorter & lesse intricate. I am at present in Northampton shire whither your letter was sent to me from Cambridge: But hope within 8 or 9 days to be at Cambridge to receive what you may send thither if you shall have occasion to write to

Yo^r humble & much
obliged Servant

Newton.

There are three more of M^r Kersies Bookes of Algebra desired in Cambridg for w^ch at p^rsent you may subscribe my name.

<23av>

These

To M^r John Collins at
M^r William Aug|s|tins house
\over against the Adam & Eve/ in Petty France in
Westminster.
London.
|2|