Review by Choice Review
Linton's central theme is the interplay between observations of solar system objects and mathematical techniques. Early observations were of such limited precision that it was difficult to distinguish between heliocentric and geocentric cosmologies. With the introduction of telescopes and the consequent vast improvement in the quality of the observations, mathematics was presented with an increasing number of challenges. At first these challenges focused on the motions of the five planets known to the ancients, but attention eventually turned to the prediction of the positions of unseen planets, to the motion of satellites of the major planets, to the subtleties of the motion of the moon, and eventually to the modern requirements of Earth satellite orbits and space probe tracking. In an authoritative, well-organized presentation of the historical developments, annotated by extensive references, Linton (Loughborough Univ., UK) explains the new concepts of mathematics and how they were applied to the solution of the problems presented by each generation of new observations. The book is an excellent survey of the history of this field, but certain parts, such as Chapter 11, "New Methods," will be challenging to nonmathematicians. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. General readers; upper-division undergraduates; professionals. D. E. Hogg National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
