David Hilbert's Explanation of Albert Einstein's Success
Shubee
"Do you know why Einstein said the most original and profound things
about space and time that have been said in our generation? Because he
had learned nothing about all the philosophy and mathematics of time
and space." P. Frank, Einstein – His Life and Times, p. 206.
I believe that this statement should be interpreted according to David
Hilbert's philosophy of physics. In essence, Hilbert believed that
"physics is too difficult for physicists" and that mathematicians
should take it over. Isn't it obvious that Hilbert is chiding
mathematicians for having no interest in his mathematical challenge to
axiomatize all of physics?
Here is another famous Hilbert quote, referring to the general theory
of relativity, that I also interpret as Hilbert chiding mathematicians
for their disinterest in physics:
"Every boy in the streets of Gottingen understands more about four-
dimensional geometry than Einstein. Yet, in spite of that, Einstein
did the work and not the mathematicians."
Shubee
http://www.everythingimportant.org/relativity/special.pdf
Shubee
> Shubee wrote:
> >David Hilbert once asked a gathering of mathematicians:
>
> >"Do you know why Einstein said the most original and profound things
> >about space and time that have been said in our generation? Because he
> >had learned nothing about all the philosophy and mathematics of time
>
> >I believe that this statement should be interpreted according to David
> >Hilbert's philosophy of physics. In essence, Hilbert believed that
> >"physics is too difficult for physicists" and that mathematicians
> >should take it over. Isn't it obvious that Hilbert is chiding
> >mathematicians for having no interest in his mathematical challenge to
> >axiomatize all of physics?
>
> >Here is another famous Hilbert quote, referring to the general theory
> >of relativity, that I also interpret as Hilbert chiding mathematicians
> >for their disinterest in physics:
>
> >"Every boy in the streets of Gottingen understands more about four-
> >dimensional geometry than Einstein. Yet, in spite of that, Einstein
> >did the work and not the mathematicians."
>
> I've read on Einstein and that time is "Einstein" by Walter Isaacson. His
> history is extremely thorough, well documented, non-trivial and extremely
> readable. Isaacson lays asides many of the myths that have grown about
> Einstein and gives a very interesting history of physics during the first half
> of the last century, particularly regarding relativity.
The claim that Hilbert was jealous of Einstein isn't consistent with
the historical analysis by Dieter W. Ebner.
See http://xxx.lanl.gov/abs/physics/0610154
I quote:
Nov 25, 1915
Einstein also arrives at the correct equations of General Relativity
including the trace term:
Rab = -k(Tab - (1/2)gabT )
at Berlin, but without citing Hilbert. To be in agreement with
Newton's theory in the limit of weak fields one must have:
k=8(pi)Gc^-4
where G is Newton's constant of gravitation, and c is the velocity of
light. Einstein does not give an explanation how he has now found the
additional trace term. He has only checked that the conclusion T = 0
is no longer possible.
Nov 26, 1915
Einstein writes a letter to his friend Zangger accusing Hilbert,
without naming him explicitly, in drastic words: "The theory has
unique beauty. Only one colleague has understood it really, but he
tries in a tricky way to 'nostrify' it (an expression due to Abraham).
In my personal experience I have not learnt any better the
wretchedness of the human species as on occasion of this theory and
related to it. However, that does not concern me in the slightest."
and in Nov 30, 1915 he writes Besso "Colleagues behave nastily."
It is difficult to understand such harsh words of Einstein. He must
have been extremely angry having worked for eight years to the
solution of his 'great problem' and Hilbert in only a few weeks
elegantly has found the solution before him. Einstein's fury shows the
Hilbert's Nov 16 postcard was of considerable help to him.
On the other hand, Hilbert writes with great admiration about
Einstein, e.g.[15] "the publications of Einstein, which are always
rich in new approaches and ideas."
J. J. Lodder
If you know all it is not hard to understand at all.
(discussed some time ago in sci.physics.research)
Hilbert tried to swindle Einstein out of his work.
The full story has only recently surfaced.
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/278/5341/1270
In brief: Hilbert sent Einstein a preprint.
Einstein seems to have ignored it.
Einstein published his full theory 5 days later.
Hilbert publishes the preprint after that,
with the same equations,
-without indicating that the preprint had been modified in between-
Hilbert supporters have always suggested that Hilbert -really- invented
general relativity first.
However, a copy of the preprint has survived after all,
and -it does not contain Einstein's equations-
Hilbert added them after Einstein published them,
without acknowledgment, and implicitly claiming
that they had been in the preprint.
The Einstein-Hilbert lagrangian is a misnomer.
Of course Einstein was furious, but what could he do about it?
He didn't want a public quarrel, and Hilbert never quite claimed,
he just let the suggestion hang.
Relations between them remained cool after this.
Hilbert must have regretted in the Annalen affair.
Instead of supporting Hilbert against Brouwer
Einstein mocked him, and everything dear to Hilbert
by referring to it as 'the frog-mouse war'.
(after Aristophanes)
Best,
Jan
PS According to anecdote Einstein has said of Hilbert
that Hilbert had a 'superman-complex'. (Uebermensch-Komplex)
Meaning trying to appear to be very brilliant
by leaving out many intermediate steps of a derivation,
and then suggestng that the conclusion is obvious
to someone of his brilliance.
Shubee
in the mutilation of David Hilbert's page proofs
On Jun 7, 9:41 am, nos...@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) wrote:
CRS wrote:
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/278/5341/1270
> Hilbert supporters have always suggested that Hilbert
> -really- invented general relativity first.
> However, a copy of the preprint has survived after all,
> and -it does not contain Einstein's equations-
How do you answer Dieter W. Ebner’s indictment against CRS?
"Not mentioning the cut-off in an article, stating the whole
historical document does not contain the field equations, would be
equivalent to a grossly unethical scientific behavior which would not
be committed without a strong motivation."
http://xxx.lanl.gov/abs/physics/0610154
In my reading of that very professional article, I think that Ebner is
insinuating that CRS are definite suspects in the mutilation of
Hilbert's page proofs:
"Thus CRS have been in possession of an intact copy of the page
proofs. Since they have discovered the page proofs shortly after 1994,
the cut-off was not yet done before 1994."
How would you characterize the "strong motivation" and which suspects,
known to be at the scene of the crime, have the rare expert knowledge
necessary to fabricate evidence at the Gottingen archive and to
rewrite history, in a desperate attempt to discredit Hilbert and
promote Einstein as the sole creator of general relativity?
I recall being genuinely appalled by the unmitigated gall and awesome
reverence of John Stachel for Albert Einstein when I read Stachel's
bold insinuation that Einstein's first paper on special relativity
came about by a purely creative process having nothing to do with the
Lorentz transformation and the relativity principle being widely
understood before Einstein wrote.
http://www.aip.org/history/einstein/essay-einstein-relativity.htm
And this was before I had even investigated the Hilbert-Einstein GTR
priority dispute.
Stachel's worshipful reverence for Einstein and his willingness to
discount the contributions of others, should be a relevant fact in a
forthcoming criminal investigation. Stachel fits the unusual profile
of the Gottingen forger. I strongly believe that he should be
questioned, as well as the other members of the CRS triumvirate, as
they are the most likely suspects.
Shubee