Trinity College Notebook

Trinity College Notebook

by Isaac Newton

 Part of the Newton Papers Collection.

This is a notebook Newton acquired while he was an undergraduate at Trinity College and used from about 1661 to 1665 (see his inscription).

It includes many notes from his studies and, increasingly, his own

explorations into mathematics, physics and metaphysics. It was judged

'Not fit to be printed' by Newton's executor and was presented to the

Library by the fifth Earl of Portsmouth in 1872.

This

notebook contains many blank pages (all shown) and has been used by

Newton from both ends. Our presentation displays the notebook in a

sensible reading order. It shows the 'front' cover and the 30 folios

that follow and then turns the notebook upside down showing the other cover and the pages that follow it. Full transcriptions are available for folios 88r-135r,

a famous section of the manuscript where Newton organises his

notetaking according to 'Questiones quaedam Philosophiae' (certain

philosophical questions). The notebook was photographed while it was

disbound in 2011