A manuscript co-authored by Paris-Albert Einstein, which provides unusual insights into the ideas of legendary physicists leading up to his general theory of relativity, sold for € 11.7 million ($ 13.17 million) at an auction on Tuesday. it was done.
Christie’s, an auction house, estimated the value of the manuscript to be between 2 and 3 million euros.
A 54-page paper, half-filled by Einstein’s handwriting, is known to bring thinkers closer to his famous theories that laid the foundations for modern cosmology and technology, such as GPS navigation2. It is one of two working documents.
They were under the control of the Swiss physicist Michele Besso, Einstein’s best friend and academic partner who co-authored the work between 1913 and 1914.
Christie’s expert Vincent Belois, who hosted the auction in Paris, said:
“Einstein left few notes, so the fact that the manuscript survived and arrived at us is already absolutely extraordinary,” he added.
Composed primarily of infinite calculations with black ink on wrinkled pale yellow paper, this manuscript challenges Einstein’s popular image as an absolute genius. Even he shows that he has made a mistake, at least sometimes.
“I think Einstein has made a mistake in this manuscript and in a sense makes it even bigger, because he sees the persistence in the process of construction, being modified and redirected,” Beloi said. Said.
In May, Einstein’s handwritten letter referring to his famous E = mc² equation was part of his early special relativity and sold in the United States for about € 1 million, more than three times the estimated price. it was done.
Einstein revolutionized modern physics when he first described gravity as a geometric distortion of space and time in the general theory of relativity published in 1915.
Christie’s did not reveal the buyer’s name.
($ 1 = 0.8887 euros)
By Ardee Napolitano
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