Concluding Observations

Abstract

Theoria Lunae, the published treatise of Mayer’s lunar theory, leaves a number of features of that theory unexplained. The most important of the unexplained features are a justification of the multi-step procedure and an explanation of the process of adjusting its coefficients to observations. Mayer considered each of these features at least as important as the theory itself. Through an investigation of the manuscripts that Mayer left behind, important new insights into this matter have here been obtained. The manuscripts show that Mayer had adapted the multi-step procedure from the structure of Newton’s NTM. This completely new insight stretches the influence of Newton’s 1702 lunar theory considerably. Also, as Mayer had drawn significant attention with his lunar tables while his theory was still in a problematic state at best, we see that the role of the calculus is less preponderant than has hitherto been thought.