On the history of the principle of least squares (Q685238)

Some critical and additional remarks are given to \textit{S. M. Stigler}'s [The history of statistics. The measurement of uncertainty before 1900 (1986; Zbl 0656.62005)]\ especially to the topics adjustment of direct and indirect observations, arithmetical mean, prehistory of the principle of least squares. The contributions of R. Cotes, posthumously published in 1722, are incorrectly assessed by Stigler. A defence of L. Euler and C. F. Gauss from unjustified attacks is given, and a hint to the Swiss astronomer and mathematician Daniel Huber (1768-1819), who used the principle of least squares before 1802, and perhaps before 1790, but he did not publish it. Linear combinations of equations are to be found by Tobias Mayer (1750) and by R. J. Boscovich (1750 and 1770), who did not use all the subsystems with equal weight or otherwise, he only used the best one of them, later P. S. Laplace solved systems by the Boscovich method.