Item #152 Beiträge zur Quantentheorie [Contributions to Quantum Theory]. ALBERT EINSTEIN.
Beiträge zur Quantentheorie [Contributions to Quantum Theory]

Beiträge zur Quantentheorie [Contributions to Quantum Theory]

FIRST EDITION, EXTREMELY RARE PRESENTATION OFFPRINT; PAUL EHRENFEST'S COPY.

"Contributions to Quantum Theory" was a crucial transitional paper in which Einstein uses the light quantum hypothesis to give new derivations of Planck's radiation law and Nernst's third law of thermodynamics (Einstein points out that the alleged "proofs" which try to derive the theorem of Nernst from the mere fact that the specific heat of all substances goes to zero at absolute zero temperature, are not genuine). Einstein had first put forward the idea of light quanta in 1905, but in later years he came to doubt the validity of the hypothesis, despite its earlier success in explaining the photoelectric effect. Einstein’s success in the present paper in deriving two of the most important achievements of quantum theory using the light quantum hypothesis re-established his confidence in that hypothesis, and he began to think again about the interaction between radiation and matter, resulting two years later in his great papers on the quantum theory of radiation.

Provenance: The Austro-Dutch physicist Paul Ehrenfest (1880-1933), with "Ehrenfest" written in his hand on upper wrapper and seven lines in his hand written in pencil on last page of text, commenting on the first three lines of text on the page.

Ehrenfest met Einstein for the first time in 1912 in Prague, where Einstein spent a year as full professor, and the two men remained close friends thereafter. When Einstein returned to Zürich in July 1912, he recommended Ehrenfest to succeed him in his position in Prague, but this was prevented by Ehrenfest’s declaration that he was an atheist. However, just at this time Lorentz resigned his position as professor at the University of Leiden, and on his advice Ehrenfest was appointed as his successor. He remained there for the rest of his career. Einstein said of him: “He was not merely the best teacher in our profession whom I have ever known; he was also passionately preoccupied with the development and destiny of men, especially his students. To understand others, to gain their friendship and trust, to aid anyone embroiled in outer or inner struggles, to encourage youthful talent — all this was his real element, almost more than his immersion in scientific problems” … On his invitation Einstein accepted in 1920 an appointment as extraordinary professor at the University of Leiden. This arrangement allowed Einstein to visit Leiden for a few weeks every year. At these occasions Einstein would stay at Ehrenfest’s home. In 1923 Einstein stayed there for six weeks, after German ultra-nationalists in Berlin had made threats against his life. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Lorentz' doctorate (December 1925) Ehrenfest invited both Bohr and Einstein over to Leiden, in an attempt to reconcile their scientific differences about the emerging quantum theory. These discussions were continued at the 1927 Solvay Conference, where Ehrenfest much to his dismay had to side with Bohr's position in this great debate” (Wikipedia, accessed 29 May 2017). In 1922, Einstein and Ehrenfest published a joint paper in Zeitschrift für Physik which attempted to explain the Stern-Gerlach experiment, the results of which had been published just weeks earlier. Their paper can be considered the first significant contribution to the quantum measurement problem.

Ehrenfest’s annotations on p. 828 refer to Einstein’s statement at the top of that page, according to which the thermodynamic state of the system will be unchanged when two different kinds of molecules are interchanged. Ehrenfest remarks that one cannot interchange a molecule of the first kind with one of the second if the spatial separation between the two is too large.

Note: This is the exceedingly rare presentation offprint, with "Überreicht vom Verfasser" (Presented by the Author) printed on front wrapper.

Offprint from: Verhandlungen der Deutschen Physikalischen Gesellschaft, 16. Band, 1914. Braunschweig: Vieweg & Sohn, 1914. Octavo (230 x 155 mm), pp. [1:blank] 820-828. Original printed wrappers; custom box. A fine copy.

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