dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaThe Relativity of Discovery: Hilbert's First Note on the Foundations of Physics
| Authors | Tilman Sauer |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/9811050 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/9811050 |
| Journal | Arch.Hist.Ex.Sci. 53 (1999) 529-575 |
Abstract
Hilbert's paper on ``The Foundations of Physics (First Communication),'' is now primarily known for its parallel publication of essentially the same gravitational field equations of general relativity which Einstein published in a note on ``The Field Equations of Gravitation,'' five days later, on November 25, 1915. An intense correspondence between Hilbert and Einstein in the crucial month of November 1915, furthermore, confronts the historian with a case of parallel research and with the associated problem of reconstructing the interaction between Hilbert and Einstein at that time. Previous assessments of these issues have recently been challenged by Leo Corry, J\"urgen Renn, and John Stachel who draw attention to a hitherto unnoticed first set of proofs for Hilbert's note. These proofs bear a printer's stamp of December 6 and display substantial differences to the published version. By focussing on the consequences of these findings for the reconstruction of Einstein's path towards general relativity, a number of questions about Hilbert's role in the episode, however, are left open. To what extent did Hilbert react to Einstein? What were Hilbert's research concerns in his note, and how did they come to overlap with Einstein's to some extent in the fall of 1915? How did Hilbert and Einstein regard each other and their concurrent activities at the time? What did Hilbert hope to achieve, and what, after all, did he achieve? With these questions in mind I discuss in this paper Hilbert's first note on the ``Foundations of Physics,'' its prehistory and characteristic features, and, for heuristic purposes, I do so largely from Hilbert's perspective.
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"abstract": "Hilbert\u0027s paper on ``The Foundations of Physics (First Communication),\u0027\u0027 is\nnow primarily known for its parallel publication of essentially the same\ngravitational field equations of general relativity which Einstein published in\na note on ``The Field Equations of Gravitation,\u0027\u0027 five days later, on November\n25, 1915. An intense correspondence between Hilbert and Einstein in the crucial\nmonth of November 1915, furthermore, confronts the historian with a case of\nparallel research and with the associated problem of reconstructing the\ninteraction between Hilbert and Einstein at that time.\n Previous assessments of these issues have recently been challenged by Leo\nCorry, J\\\"urgen Renn, and John Stachel who draw attention to a hitherto\nunnoticed first set of proofs for Hilbert\u0027s note. These proofs bear a printer\u0027s\nstamp of December 6 and display substantial differences to the published\nversion. By focussing on the consequences of these findings for the\nreconstruction of Einstein\u0027s path towards general relativity, a number of\nquestions about Hilbert\u0027s role in the episode, however, are left open. To what\nextent did Hilbert react to Einstein? What were Hilbert\u0027s research concerns in\nhis note, and how did they come to overlap with Einstein\u0027s to some extent in\nthe fall of 1915? How did Hilbert and Einstein regard each other and their\nconcurrent activities at the time? What did Hilbert hope to achieve, and what,\nafter all, did he achieve?\n With these questions in mind I discuss in this paper Hilbert\u0027s first note on\nthe ``Foundations of Physics,\u0027\u0027 its prehistory and characteristic features,\nand, for heuristic purposes, I do so largely from Hilbert\u0027s perspective.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/9811050",
"authors": [
"Tilman Sauer"
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"journal_ref": "Arch.Hist.Ex.Sci. 53 (1999) 529-575",
"title": "The Relativity of Discovery: Hilbert\u0027s First Note on the Foundations of Physics",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/9811050"
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