ALBERT EINSTEIN MANUSCRIPTS FULL

Image: The Einstein-Besso manuscript on display before its auction at Christie's auction house in Paris (Antony Paone / Reuters)Īstrophysicist Etienne Klein said the manuscript played an important role in forever changing 'the narrative behind the birth of an incredible theory.' Einstein would go on to correct his work independently, leading to his theory of relativity.īelloy added that it was still unclear how Besso came to end up with the pages and whether he “took the manuscript or if Einstein sent it to him, asking him to work through their findings.”Įither way, Besso kept the manuscript in “impeccable” condition at his home until his death in 1995. The duo set out to explain an anomaly in Mercury’s orbit using elements of the equations Einstein would go on to feature in his theory of general relativity.īut the pair would eventually realize that while they were on the right path, their equations were not quite right.

ALBERT EINSTEIN MANUSCRIPTS FULL

'The manuscript isn’t bound, and there are many different types of loose paper, so you get the impression of a working document that’s full of energy, as if both men would grab the first page they could find to scribble their findings on,' Vincent Belloy, a specialist in books and manuscripts at Christie’s Paris, said in a statement shared by the auction house. Twenty-six of the pages appear to be written in Einstein's hand, while 3 contain entries from both the physicist and Besso, with the remaining 25 written by the latter, according to Christie's. The pages are filled with sprawling calculations and crossed-out symbols, mainly written in ink. Image: FRANCE-SCIENCE-EINSTEIN-AUCTION (Alain Jocard / AFP - Getty Images) But, eventually, Einstein would get it right, making his early work a 'very important step' in his discovery.Ĭhristie's also described the pages as 'one of the most important scientific documents of the 20th century.' 'He developed this theory, he almost reached the correct formulation, he misinterpreted it, he put it aside,' he said. Gutfreund said the manuscript was crucial to Einstein's 'intellectual and scientific journey towards the general theory of relativity.' Hanoch Gutfreund, the former president of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, told NBC News in a phone interview on Tuesday.Įinstein helped found the university, which is home to the Albert Einstein Archives. 'It was one of the most important documents on Einstein’s road to general relativity,' Prof. 25, 1915, forever changing our understanding of gravitation. It was preserved by Swiss-Italian engineer Michele Besso, who worked on the calculations with the Nobel Prize winner.Įinstein's genius did not tend to extend to saving early drafts of his work, Christie's explained on its website, making the document all the more rare and potentially valuable.Ĭontained within it is the preparatory work that helped lead to the discovery of Einstein’s famous theory, which has continued to shape the way we view the cosmos since it was first put forth on Nov.

The manuscript might have been consigned to history were it not for a decision by one of the physicist’s friends and colleagues.

British auction house Christie’s told NBC News they will not be disclosing who won the final bid.

The 54-page document was originally expected to fetch as much as $3.5 million, but went for nearly quadruple the pre-sale estimate. A rare manuscript featuring early calculations that led to Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity sold for just over $13 million at an auction in Paris Tuesday, becoming the most expensive manuscript by the famed scientist.

Albert einstein manuscripts