Universal Arithmetick: or, a Treatise of Arithmetical Composition and Resolution. To Which is Added, Dr. Halley's Method of Finding the Roots of Equations

Isaac Newton

Printed [by T. Wood] for J. Senex, W. and J. Innys, J. Osborne and T. Longman, 1728

The 2nd ed., very much corrected. Octavo, 19 x 12 cm. Bound in fine leather.  Marbled end sheets.   [4], iii, [1], 271, [1] pages, plates).  Illustrated with 8 folding plates. Minor tanning.  Scattered spotting.

First published in 1707 in Latin as Arithmetica Universalis, and in English in 1720.  In this work, Newton covers the essentials of algebra: notation, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, extraction of roots, reduction of fractions, reduction of geometrical questions to equations, and resolution of equations. In addition, Newton extended Descartes' rule of signs to imaginary roots.  He also formulated a rule to determine the number of imaginary roots of any equation.  Refs: Babson 202.  Written in Latin by Sir Isaac Newton, and Translated by the late Mr. Ralphson, and Revised and Corrected by Mr. Cunn. 

Provenance: From the library of  James Freeman Dana Garfield (1828-1911).  Garfield was the founder of the Fitchburg Historical Society. This book was given to the society after his death by his daughters.