The seventeenth century in Western Europe remains the key time and place for the development of modern science; the basic theme of this book is what the nature of seventeenth-century archives can tell us about this development, through a series of case studies (Boyle, Galileo, Huygens, Newton included). Manuscript collections created by the individuals and institutions who were responsible for the scientific revolution offer valuable evidence of the intellectual aspirations and working practices of the principal protagonists. This volume is the first to explore such archives, focusing on the ways in which ideas were formulated, stored and disseminated, and opening up understanding of the process of intellectual change. It analyses the characteristics andhistory of the archives of such leading intellectuals as Robert Boyle, Galileo Galilei, G.W. Leibniz, Isaac Newton and William Petty; also considered are the new scientific institutions founded at the time, the Royal Society andthe Academie des Sciences. In each case, significant broader findings emerge concerning the nature and role of such holdings; an introductory essay discusses the interpretation and exploitation of archives. MICHAEL HUNTERis Professor of History at Birkbeck College, University of London. Contributors: MICHAEL HUNTER, MASSIMO BUCCIANTINI, MARK GREENGRASS, ROBERT A. HATCH, FRANCES HARRIS, JOELLA YODER, DOMENICO BERTOLONI MELI, ROB ILIFFE, JAMES G.O'HARA, MORDECHAI FEINGOLD, CHRISTIANE DEMEULENAERE-DOUYRE, DAVID STURDY

This case study examines the interrelationship between mathematics and physics in the work of one of the major figures of the Scientific Revolution, the Dutch mathematician, physicist, and astronomer, Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695). Professor Yoder offers a detailed account of the discoveries that Huygens made at the end of 1659, including the invention of a pendulum clock that theoretically kept absolutely uniform time, and the creation of a mathematical theory of evolutes. She also describes the way that each of these important discoveries arose from the interaction of Huygens' mathematics and physics. A discussion of Huygens' relationship with other scientists and the priority disputes that sometimes motivated his research help place his work in the context of the period. The reception of Huygens' masterpiece, the Horologium Oscillatorium of 1673 and the place of evolutes in the history of mathematics are also analyzed. Finally, the role of Huygens in the rise of applied mathematics is addressed.

This case study examines the interrelationship between mathematics and physics in the work of one of the major figures of the Scientific Revolution, the Dutch mathematician, physicist, and astronomer, Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695). Professor Yoder offers a detailed account of the discoveries that Huygens made at the end of 1659, including the invention of a pendulum clock that theoretically kept absolutely uniform time, and the creation of a mathematical theory of evolutes. She also describes the way that each of these important discoveries arose from the interaction of Huygens' mathematics and physics. A discussion of Huygens' relationship with other scientists and the priority disputes that sometimes motivated his research help place his work in the context of the period. The reception of Huygens' masterpiece, the Horologium Oscillatorium of 1673 and the place of evolutes in the history of mathematics are also analyzed. Finally, the role of Huygens in the rise of applied mathematics is addressed.