A Note on the History of the Science of Machines

In the present paper I consider the science of machines as encompassing machine theories covering different aspects of machines. The history of the science of machines is then the history of these machine theories, the relations between them and their relation to the practice of machine building. Such an approach to the science of machines generates interesting questions. The first successful machine theory was the theory of simple machines. It reached maturity with Galilei. The second successful machine theory was kinematicsKinematics. It reached maturity with Reuleaux and Burmester. DynamicsDynamics applied to machines is another example of a machine theory. This paper is dedicated to the memory of my friend Carlos Lopez Cajun. We shared an interest in the history of machines.