Princeton, 9 February 1950

Name: 'One can be dazzled by success'
Brand: Princeton, 9 February 1950
Price: 9000.00 USD
Availability: SoldOut

Price Realised USD 11,250

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USD 3,000 - USD 5,000

Closed: 6 Dec 2017

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'One can be dazzled by success'

Princeton, 9 February 1950

Price Realised USD 11,250

Closed: 6 Dec 2017

Price Realised USD 11,250

Closed: 6 Dec 2017

Details Lot Essay Related Articles More from

Albert Einstein (1879-1955). Autograph letter signed (‘A.E.’) to Michele Besso, [postmarked Princeton, 9 February 1950].

In German, one page, 297 x 184mm, on an aerogramme form.

Please note this lot is the property of a private consignor.

Published in Pierre Speziali (ed.) Albert Einstein. Michele Besso. Correspondance 1903-1955. Paris: Hermann, 1972. No. 169

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Lot Essay

'When I read your last letter, I had to laugh, although I myself am responsible for this lack of clarity. It is simply common to represent ordinary differentiation by a comma'. He sets the offending symbols in a box for optimum clarity: 'Gsimply means δg / δx'. This distinguishes it from similar notation with the comma replaced by a semi-colon. Einstein promises to send his work on the non-symmetrical tensor-field shortly: 'This logical possibility is so natural, that it is hardly to be believed that it is not realised. Proving this with facts comes up short against difficulties which are for the moment insuperable. You will see it soon, when you get to know the formalism better'. Einstein's response to his critics (in , published the previous year) has unfortunately been poorly translated into English: 'One can be dazzled by success, even when it is purchased with a '.