Details
EINSTEIN, Albert. Three typed letters signed ("A. Einstein.") two to Moses Gordon, one to his son, Norman Gordon, Princeton, N.J., 26 January 1942 - 7 November 1949. Together 3 pages, 4to, on Einstein's personal stationery, with envelopes, one addressed in Einstein's hand. [With:] Carbon copies and typescript originals of letters from Gordon to Einstein, plus a typescript of Gordon's paper on the Lorentz Transformations (returned by Einstein upon Gordon's death), with one handwritten comment "not logical" in Einstein's hand. Together 49 pages, 4to.
From 1941 to 1949, Moses Gordon, a blind scientist, carried on highly interesting correspondance with Professor Einstein regarding complex issues connected with Relativity and the Quantum Theory (see two previous lots), and sending Einstein the draft of his own paper on the Lorentz Transformations. Einstein responded in thoughtful detail and in spite of the demands upon his time, even took the trouble to read and critique Gordon's research. On January 26, 1942, Einstein commented "Your letter is of great clarity and I was very much pleased reading it ... When I happen to come to New York again I shall try to have a talk with you." Apparently, the visit did not occur, and in the Fall of that year, Gordon proposed to visit him in Princeton. On November 16, Einstein wrote "I shall be pleased to have you visit me in Princeton. Any afternoon (except Saturday and Sunday) between 3 and 6 o'clock would be agreeable. Please be kind enough to advise me a few days ahead of your choice of day."
The correspondance continued after Gordon's visit. On September 6, 1949, after an apparent lull of several years, Gordon sent Einstein a copy of a draft scientific paper, "The Principles and Reasoning which Lead to the Lorentz Transformations." Einstein apparently read the paper, writing one comment beside a paragraph on page 4: "not logical." Before the paper could be returned however, Gordon died. On November 7, 1949 Einstein returned the paper to Gordon's son Norman, writing "I can feel with 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 when I was studying his last manuscript." Einstein observes that Gordon, though not a trained physicist, "has understood clearly the fundamental ideas of the special theory of relativity," but he notes mistakes in the paper due to "incorrect equations for the transformation of space and time coordinants," which could be "achieved in a much simpler way which excludes the danger of mistakes difficult to avoid in long deductions." Einstein concludes in praise of Gordon, "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." Together nine items. (9)
From 1941 to 1949, Moses Gordon, a blind scientist, carried on highly interesting correspondance with Professor Einstein regarding complex issues connected with Relativity and the Quantum Theory (see two previous lots), and sending Einstein the draft of his own paper on the Lorentz Transformations. Einstein responded in thoughtful detail and in spite of the demands upon his time, even took the trouble to read and critique Gordon's research. On January 26, 1942, Einstein commented "Your letter is of great clarity and I was very much pleased reading it ... When I happen to come to New York again I shall try to have a talk with you." Apparently, the visit did not occur, and in the Fall of that year, Gordon proposed to visit him in Princeton. On November 16, Einstein wrote "I shall be pleased to have you visit me in Princeton. Any afternoon (except Saturday and Sunday) between 3 and 6 o'clock would be agreeable. Please be kind enough to advise me a few days ahead of your choice of day."
The correspondance continued after Gordon's visit. On September 6, 1949, after an apparent lull of several years, Gordon sent Einstein a copy of a draft scientific paper, "The Principles and Reasoning which Lead to the Lorentz Transformations." Einstein apparently read the paper, writing one comment beside a paragraph on page 4: "not logical." Before the paper could be returned however, Gordon died. On November 7, 1949 Einstein returned the paper to Gordon's son Norman, writing "I can feel with 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 when I was studying his last manuscript." Einstein observes that Gordon, though not a trained physicist, "has understood clearly the fundamental ideas of the special theory of relativity," but he notes mistakes in the paper due to "incorrect equations for the transformation of space and time coordinants," which could be "achieved in a much simpler way which excludes the danger of mistakes difficult to avoid in long deductions." Einstein concludes in praise of Gordon, "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." Together nine items. (9)