Sir Isaac Newton

About me:

I am Sir Isaac Newton; I was born on Christmas day in 1642 (until the calendar was changed that is) and live a secluded private life, to which I spend the majority of my time in constant study and meditation. My quest is for ultimate understanding of nature and the logic to which its structure is derived. I am considered to be one of the greatest natural philosophers of all times. My ideas have helped shape the way the world sees phenomena in nature. Even so, I have quite a few rivals who spend their days attempting to discredit, undermined, and invalidate me and my work--do not trust them! In regards to natural philosophy, I have contributed greatly to the studies of optics, the motion of objects on earth, and the motion of heavenly bodies. In fact, I am often credited with the uniting the sciences of heaven and earth. This is due to my work on force which affects objects on earth and in the heavens equally. Motion is a result of force, or lack of opposing force. I wrote three axioms which function as the basis for the motion of any object. These axioms are written in Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy (actually that is the English translation of my book which is written in Latin), and say:

I EVERY BODY PERSEVERES IN ITS STATE OF REST, OR OF UNIFORM MOTION IN A RIGHT LINE, UNLESS IT IS COMPELLED TO CHANGE THAT STATE BY FORCE IMPRESSED THEREON.

II THE ALTERATION OF MOTION IS EVER PROPORTIONAL TO THE MOTIVE FORCE IMPRESSED; AND IS MADE IN THE DIRECTION OF THE RIGHT LINE IN WHICH THAT FORCE IS IMPRESSED.

III TO EVERY ACTION THERE IS ALWAYS OPPOSED AN EQUAL REACTION: OR THE MUTUAL ACTION OF TWO BODIES UPON EACH OTHER ARE ALWAYS EQUAL, AND DIRECTED TO CONTRARY PARTS.


I may be best known for my work on fluxions, though. Fluxions are the change in a function with respect to time; this was discovered in 1666 at Woolsthorpe Manor, where I lived for eight-teen months while Trinity College was closed due to the Great Plague of 1665. Here is an elementary example of fluxions.


First let one start out with the vertical position function of an object thrown into the air near earth's surface without air resistance,



Now to find the velocity of this object at any given time one needs to turn to the definition of it. Velocity is the instantaneous change in position with respect to time. Flux is defined as the change in a function with respect to time. It fallows from this that we can find velocity by finding the flux of position. This is:



The dot on top of the y indicates that we have taken the flux of y. Notice how the power to the right of all of the t’s came down and the new power is the original minus one (having no t is the same as having a t..0.. because t..0.. = 1).

Now let us say we need to find acceleration. Acceleration is the instantaneous change in velocity with respect to time. So we shall take the flux of velocity,



Again notice how the power came down and the new power is the original minus one. If one were to find the flux again we would discover that it is equal to zero.

If you were to start with acceleration (which is actually a more common starting point) one would use the acceleration equation and find the antiflux of that (which is velocity) and proceed in the same manor for position.

These days, instead of flux we call it a "derivative with respect to time” and we call an fluents (antiflux) an “antiderivative” (or “indefinite integral”). On a side note, please remember that I discovered fluxions, despite what some ignorant fools may tell you.