Author: LAPLACE, PIERRE SIMON (MARQUIS DE),
Title: Exposition du système du monde. Par Pierre Simon Laplace, de l'Institut Nationale de France, et du Bureau des Longitudes.
Description: Paris, De l'imprimerie du Cercle-Social, rue du Théâtre Français, No 4. L'an IV de la République Française (=1796). 8vo. In 2 vols. Half long grained red mor. over marbled brds., first quarter of 20th century. (314, IV (Index) ; 312, IV (Index) pp.). (Some spotting and foxing throughout; some vague watersp. Upper righthand corner of index leaf vol. II missing, with loss of printed surface .). (Ex Libris Dr. Theol. Ph. Bridel on paste down and ownership inscription in pencil on both half titles.). First edition. Good copy. Usual foxing and spotting inherent to paper used for this edition. DSB XV, p. 273 - 402, more specif. section 20, 341 - 345: 'Laplace was named to a committee to select teachers for the Paris region ..., and he gave a course of ten lectures. The first 8 describe elementary maths. ...The ninth describes the metric system. The tenth introduces probability, summarizing in in non technical language the highlights of his earlier work in that field; .. The program announced for his course had committed him to treat also of the differential and integral calculus, mechanics and astronomy. Time did not permit, and he would simply refer his auditors to a book that he had in preparation, to be entitled "Description du système du monde", ...the promised book proved to be one of the most succesfull popularizations of science ever composed. ... The "Système du monde" appeared in 1796. Book I begins with what any attentive observer may see if he will open his eyes to the spectacle of the heavens on a clear night with a view of the whole horizon. Book II, ..., sets out the "real" motions of planets, sattelites, and comets and gives the dimensions of the solar system. Book III is a verbal précis of the laws of motion as understood in 18th c. rational mechanics, ...In Book IV, Laplace in effect summarized his own work in gravitational mechanics. ...Only Book V contains material that Laplace had not written up in technical form or presupposed. It gives an overview of the history of astronomy and concludes with the speculation since called "Nebular hypothesis" and another on the nature of the universe in outer space.': PMM, compare 252: The "Exposition" was the non-mathematical forerunner of Laplace's "Mécanique Céleste". 'Laplace has been called the "Newton of France". ...Laplace maintained that while all planets revolve round the sun their eccentricities and the inclinations of their orbits to each other will always remain small. He also showed that all these irregularities in movements and positions in the heavens were self-correcting, so that the whole solar system appeared to be mechanically stable. The Universe was really a great self-regulating machine and the whole solar system could continue on its existing plan for an immense period of time. This was a long step forward from the Newtonian uncertainties in this respect, ...Laplace also offered a brilliant explanation of the secular inequalities of the mean motion of the moon about the earth - a problem which Euler and LaGrange had failed to solve. He proved that these irregularities are connected with certain solar actions and changes in the orbit of the earth. He also investigated the theory of the tides and calculated from them the mass of the moon.': Honeyman V, 1919: 'Laplace's classic work on the origin and formation of the solar system': Comp. Dibner, Heralds, 14: Roberts / Trent, p. 196f: Poggendorff vol. I, p. 1375:

Keywords: physics W65