Galileo Galilei and the centers of gravity of solids: a reconstruction based on a newly discovered version of the conical frustum contained in manuscript UCLA 170/624.

The manuscript UCLA 170/624 (ff. 75–76) contains Galileo's proof of the center of gravity of the frustum of a cone, which was ultimately published as Theoremata circa centrum gravitatis solidorum in Discorsi e dimostrazioni matematiche intorno a due nuove scienze (Leiden 1638). The UCLA copy opens the possibility of giving a fuller account of Theoremata dating and development, and it can shed light on the origins of this research by the young Galileo. A comparison of the UCLA manuscript with the other extant copies is carried out to propose a new dating for the composition of the Theoremata. This dating will then be reconsidered in light of the mathematical content. The paper ends with a complete description of the content of the UCLA manuscript and the edition of Galileo's text there contained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]