How Galileo dropped the ball and Fermat picked it up (Q542147): Difference between revisions

This paper tells an episode from the history of physics. There were two competing schools in the 17th century dealing with the freefall, a Galilean school and a Jesuit one. Fermat agreed that Galileo's conclusion remained undemonstrated but suggested that Galileo might have had a correct proof in mind. Fermat picked up the ball and gave a mathematical proof. Unfortunately, Fermat's proof made a connection that wasn't obvious. The second part of the reviewed paper shows that a simple modification would satisfy any of Fermat's critics.