I. The stability of a spherical nebula

Abstract 1. The object of the present paper can be best explained by referring to a sentence which occurs in a paper by Professor G. H. Darwin. This is as follows:— “The principal question involved in the nebular hypothesis seems to be the stability of a rotating mass of gas; but, unfortunately, this has remained up to now an untouched field of mathematical research. We can only judge of probable results from the investigations which have been made concerning the stability of a rotating mass of liquid.”