The original motivation for Copernicus's research: Albert of Brudzewo's \textit{Commentariolum super theoricas novas Georgii Purbachii} (Q308991)

Brudzewo's commentary on Peurbach's \textit{Theoricae novae planetarum} of 1472 appraised how far Peurbach fell short of accounting for what should be the perfect motions of heavenly bodies. His commentary, used in manuscript form in the 1480s as a professor at Cracow University and published in 1494, was part of the educational environment in which Copernicus studied in Cracow. This connection between Brudzewo and Copernicus has been noted in previous histories, for example [\textit{R. S. Westman}, The Copernican question: prognostication, skepticism, and celestial order. Berkeley: University of California Press (2011)], though they may not all go so far as to describe Brudzewo as ``the original motivation'' for Copernicus since there were numerous other influences. The principal contribution here, to which most of this paper is devoted, is an account of Brudzewo and his reading of Peurbach. Several manuscript and printed versions of Brudzewo's commentary have been inspected which are not listed in [\textit{L. A. Birkenmajer} (ed.), Albertus de Brudzewo super Theoricas novas planetarum. Cracow: Jagiellonian University (1900; JFM 31.0059.05)].