Bidspirit auction | [SCIENCE AND MEDICINE] - LEGENDRE

[SCIENCE AND MEDICINE] - LEGENDRE Adrien Marie (1752 – 1833) - [Number Theory – Legendre’s Quadratic Reciprocity – Second Edition With Supplement – 1808–1816] - “Essai sur la Théorie des Nombres” [with] “Supplément à l'essai sur la Théorie des Nombres” Paris, Courcier, 1808; 1816. 4to (27 x 20.5 cm); 2 works in one vol.; one folding engraved plate, 10 mathematical tables; some toning and light foxing. Contemporary half brown morocco over marbled boards, gilt spine, green morocco label. A very good copy. Second edition of Legendre’s fundamental work in number theory, first issued in 1797–98, here augmented by the important 1816 supplement. The work contains Legendre’s discovery of the law of quadratic reciprocity, later described by Gauss as the “golden theorem”, as well as his early formulation of the prime number theorem. This edition refines and expands his earlier results. Legendre’s contributions extended across elliptic integrals, least squares, and celestial mechanics, but his work in number theory stands among the most systematic syntheses of the field prior to Gauss. •⁠⁠⁠> This lot is located in and ships from the UK. No export license is required for values under £65,000; above this threshold, a UK export license will be needed. Import duties and taxes in the destination country are the buyer's responsibility.