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(2011) Synthese 180 (3).
This paper introduces a little-known episode in the history of physics, in which a mathematical proof by Pierre Fermat vindicated Galileo’s characterization of freefall. The first part of the paper reviews the historical context leading up to Fermat’s proof. The second part illustrates how a physical and a mathematical insight enabled Fermat’s result, and that a simple modification would satisfy any of Fermat’s critics. The result is an illustration of how a purely theoretical argument can settle an apparently empirical debate.
Publication details
DOI: 10.1007/s11229-009-9705-7
Full citation:
Roberts, B. W. (2011). How Galileo dropped the ball and Fermat picked it up. Synthese 180 (3), pp. 337-356.
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