This is a translation of "Opuscoli Matemateci sopra il Teorema della Composizione delle Forze; e sopra il Calcolo Integrale delle Differenze Finite" by Gregorio Fontana, available from www.e-rara.ch. This is a broad but challenging introduction to Finite Differences, requiring of the reader a basic knowledge of differential and integral calculus, including the solution of differential equations, plus some acquaintance with series and finite difference equations. The contents comprise the following topics:
- Summation of some simple series.
- Integration of differential fractions.
- Summation of reciprocal series.
- The general term of a series with constant finite difference of some order.
- Summation of the foregoing series.
- Integration of a particular form of linear finite difference equation with variable coefficients.
- Solution to a particular recurrency relation.
- A Chess problem: given a starting and a finishing square, in how many ways may a castle pass from start to finish in just x moves? The solution requires the simultaneous solving of three first-order linear finite difference equations with constant coefficients.
- Basic notions of finite differences of more than one variable.
- The fitting of regular observed data to a describing equation.
- + Comment on the composition of two Newtonian forces into a single force.