EINSTEIN, Albert (1879-1955) - photo 1
EINSTEIN, Albert (1879-1955) - photo 2
EINSTEIN, Albert (1879-1955) - photo 3

EINSTEIN, Albert (1879-1955)

Lot 150
11.12.2024 14:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
£ 81 900
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
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ID 1349632
Lot 150 | EINSTEIN, Albert (1879-1955)
Estimate value
£ 70 000 – 100 000
EINSTEIN, Albert (1879-1955)
‘Ist die Trägheit eines Körpers von seinem Energieinhalt abhängig?’ Offprint from: Annalen der Physik, 4th Series, vol. 18. Leipzig: Johann Ambrosius Barth, 1905
Extremely rare first edition, author's offprint issue, of Einstein’s 1905 paper on mass-energy equivalence, in which he provided the first proof of the relationship between mass and energy that would lead to E = mc2. From the library of pioneering theoretical physicist Arnold Sommerfeld (1868-1951).

Einstein's paper reached the revolutionary conclusion that mass and energy are equivalent and interchangeable, setting the stage for a major paradigm shift in physics. Encapsulated in the equation E = mc², this became one of the most famous and influential ideas in the history of science and laid the foundations for the development of nuclear power and the creation of atomic weapons. In fact, the paper's impact extended far beyond physics, influencing fields from astronomy to philosophy, and fundamentally altering our modern understanding of the universe.

‘A few months after first publishing the theory of relativity, Einstein discovered something that particularly intrigued him; the relation between inertial mass and energy. He wrote to Conrad Habicht during the summer of 1905: “One more consequence of the paper on electrodynamics has also occurred to me. The principle of relativity, in conjunction with Maxwell's equations, requires that mass be a direct measure of the energy contained in a body; light carries mass with it. A noticeable decrease of mass should occur in the case of radium. The argument is amusing and seductive, but for all I know the Lord might be laughing over it and leading me around by the nose”’ (Stachel, Einstein's Miraculous Year, 117-18).

Arnold Sommerfeld was a German theoretical physicist who made significant contributions to atomic and quantum physics. He extended Niels Bohr's atomic model by introducing elliptical orbits for electrons and proposed additional quantum numbers, including the azimuthal and magnetic quantum numbers. Sommerfeld also introduced the fine-structure constant, contributed to X-ray wave theory, and co-discovered the Sommerfeld-Wilson quantization rules. His seminal work Atombau und Spektrallinien became a foundational text for the new generation of physicists developing atomic and quantum physics. Sommerfeld was an exceptional educator, mentoring 7 Nobel Prize winners and numerous other prominent physicists. Despite being nominated for the Nobel Prize a record 84 times, he never received the award. Nevertheless, he was honoured with several prestigious accolades, including the Lorentz Medal, the Max-Planck Medal, and the Oersted Medal, and was elected to numerous scientific academies worldwide. In 1918, Sommerfeld succeeded Einstein as chair of the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft, and in 1922 Einstein wrote to his successor: ‘What I especially admire about you is that you have, as it were, pounded out of the soil such a large number of young talents’ (A. Pais, ‘Subtle is the Lord...’: The Science and Life of Albert Einstein, 1982).

This author's offprint can be distinguished from the normal 'trade' edition by the statement 'Überreicht vom Verfasser' on the wrapper. Extremely rare; we have not been able to trace any copy appearing at auction (RBH/ABSAA). BRL 10; Weil *10.

Octavo (222 x 142mm). Paginated 639-641. Original printed wrappers (a few trivial spots and faintest vertical crease). Provenance: Arnold Sommerfeld (1868-1951; red chinagraph underlining and numbering to upper wrapper).
Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
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11.12.2024 – 11.12.2024
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