London

An unrivalled archive of Sir Isaac Newton's scientific writings could be created if the University of Cambridge succeeds in its bid to buy a collection of documents and letters owned by the ninth Earl of Macclesfield.

Valued at £6.37 million ($9.4 million), the collection is considered to be one of the most important in private hands at present. The university wants to unite the papers with its existing collection of related papers, which already forms the world's most complete collection of Newton material.

The UK Heritage Lottery Fund, which offers money from Britain's National Lottery, has already agreed to put £4.79 million towards the purchase to safeguard the heritage of objects important to “the formation of the character and identity of the United Kingdom”.

Zutshi: the Cambridge library is willing to go into debt to secure the Newton papers. Credit: GAIR FRASER/UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

The university is now seeking the remaining funds from private benefactors. But Patrick Zutshi, keeper of manuscripts at the university library, says that even if it fails to raise the money, the library would be prepared to go into debt to get the papers.

Newton, who lived from 1642 to 1727, spent nearly 40 years at the University of Cambridge, where he was appointed Lucasian professor of mathematics in 1669. It was during this time that he laid much of the foundations for modern mathematics, astronomy and physics.

The auction house Sotheby's is negotiating the sale of the papers on behalf of the Earl of Macclesfield. Although he is likely to have got a higher price through an auction, the Earl is keen for the collection to go to the university.

Other leading mathematicians of the day whose papers appear in the collection include Christiaan Huygens, Pierre de Fermat, Robert Boyle, John Flamsteed and Isaac Barrow. The collection also contains an unpublished 200-page manuscript Astrologia Rationis Argumentis Solidis Explorata by Nicolas Mercator, the astronomer and mathematician who invented the pendulum marine chronometer.

Peter Lipton, head of history and philosophy of science at the university, says if the purchase bid succeeds, conservation work will be carried out on the papers before they are put on public display.

⇒ http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/

⇒ http://www.sothebys.com/