Final answer:
Albert Einstein referred to Sir Isaac Newton as a prominent physicist who stood alone in his command and certainty, largely due to his groundbreaking contributions to physics, which included his laws of motion and influential work, 'Principia Mathematica'.
Step-by-step explanation:
Albert Einstein is quoted as saying a 17th & 18th century physicist "stands before us, strong, certain, and alone." This description refers to Sir Isaac Newton. Newton's influential work, including his laws of motion and the monumental Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica, placed him at the pinnacle of the Scientific Revolution. He formulated a coherent framework that explained the observations and rules by Galileo, Brahe, Kepler, and others, laying the foundation for modern physics. As noted by Einstein, Newton's contributions were so significant that he stood out as a singular force in the scientific community, with his theories remaining undisputed until the advent of Einstein's own work in relativity and quantum mechanics.