NOT SOLD (BIDDING OVER)
0.00USD+ applicable fees & taxes.
This item WAS NOT SOLD. Auction date was 2003 Mar 29 @ 13:00UTC-05:00 : EST/CDT
ALBERT EINSTEIN: (1879 - 1955) American physicist whose Theory of Relativity and studies of mass and energy relationships revolutionized the field of physics. Fine content T.L.S. 1p. 4to., Princeton, Nov. 7, 1949 to Norman B. Gordon returning a scientific paper written by Norman's recently deceased father, Moses Gordon. In full: "I can feel with you your deep sorrow caused by the death of your father. He was very earnestly striving to reach clarity of understanding in everything, I saw this anew while I was studying his last manuscript. He has understood clearly the fundamental ideas of the special theory of relativity. But there must be a mistake in the first part of the considerations which led him to incorrect equations for the transformation of space and time coordinates. He rectified this in the second part of the manuscript, apparently without seeing that there was a contradiction between the two parts. The whole investigations can be achieved in a much simpler way which excludes the danger of mistakes difficult to avoid in long deductions. I am convinced that your father could have been a successful thinker in the field if he could have studied it in his younger years. I think you will want to conserve this little work to remember the devoted striving for truth characterizing the personality of your father. I am, therefore, returning the manuscript to you with my kind greetings and wishes". A few light folds and very light soiling, otherwise very good to fine condition. Together with two drafts of Gordon's manuscript: "The Principles and Reasoning which Lead to the Lorentz Transformations". The second draft, 20pp., 4to., Brooklyn, [n.d.] bears a pencilled comment in Einstein's hand in the right margin of page four which reads: "not logical" in reference to a statement concerning the Classical Transformation Law for velocities. Gordon, an engineer who had designed part of the New York subway system, lost his eyesight after he was struck by a car in 1931. His interest in physics was piqued after reading a Braille edition of Einstein and Leopold Infeld's The Evolution of Physics. He wrote to Einstein regarding questions of quantum theory and light waves and the two began a correspondence which lasted several years. The first (and very rough) draft also includes draft letters from Gordon to Einstein and other random notes associated with the composition of Gordon's papers. Included here is draft of a letter (written shortly before his death in 1949) accompanying the second draft of his paper for Einstein's review which sums up Gordon's position quite well: "...Twenty years ago, when I still enjoyed the use of my eyes, I studied a little volume of yours entitled 'Relativity', at the end of which as an appendix deriving logically and mathematically the Lorentz Transformations. Even though I gave all my attention to it there some statements whose logical validity I could not see. I knew that they were correct, merely because of the prestige of the author, but I did not know [illeg.] As a result the -following thoughts came to my mind: There surely are lots of moderately well educated people who would be anxious and eager to understand what men like you talk and dream about. This could be so if the mathematical symbols would be supplemented with simple meaningful words that would make them effective and attractive, that emphasis must be given to transmission of thoughts and ideas, in such a manner as to reach a wider and larger circles than they do at present...". A great collection of material in very good condition. $7,000-9,000
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