BY WILLIAM MECHANICS WALTON, TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE, M. A. MATHEMATICAL LECTURER AT MAGDALENE COLLEGE. "Examples give a quicker impression than arguments." BACON. PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. THE design of this Work is to facilitate the study of Theoretical Mechanics, by presenting to the student a systematic collection of Problems in illustration of the more important principles of the science. The want of any such treatise, it is believed, has been felt by many as a serious impediment to the acquisition of adequate ideas in this branch of mathematical philosophy. Much importance, it may be observed, was attached by the great discoverers of the mechanical theories to the full discussion of numerous problems, as will be evident from a reference to the works of the three Bernoullis, of Leibnitz, and of D'Alembert, and to the beautiful investigations scattered throughout so long a series of volumes of the St. Petersburgh Transactions, by the liberal hand of Euler. The author of this volume has endeavoured, as much as possible, to direct the attention of the student to the original memoirs of which he has so largely availed himself. This he has done, partly, to enable the beginner to obtain more detailed information than is compatible with the nature of this work, on particular questions which may excite an interest in his mind his chief object, however, has been, to offer every facility to those who have already overcome at least the elementary difficulties of the subject, for acquiring a practical familiarity with the historical development of the science. Although it be admitted that useful and exact knowledge may be obtained from even an exclusive perusal of the concise. and methodical treatises which are generally adopted for the purpose of academic instruction; yet it may be asserted with confidence, that an excessive adherence to such a system of study, must deprive the student of much delightful and most valuable information. 395120 |