Leonhard Euler's early lunar theories 1725--1752 (Q354151)

This is the first of a series of three papers in which the author describes Euler's work on the motion of the Moon. It is mainly based on an analysis of Euler's notebooks written in the period 1722--1730. Euler tried to describe the motion of the Moon in terms of two simultaneously acting centripetal forces and Huygens centrifugal theorem. The next two papers will deal with Euler's work in the period 1730--1744, in which he further developed his methods, and the work in the period 1744--1752, when he developed his mature and successful lunar theory.