D O C U M E N T 3 2 J A N U A R Y 1 9 2 1 5 9
which of course makes all orbits periodic and gives no radiation. Is it not possible
that a more exact solution which took account of the effect of the masses of both
bodies in the would lead to a different equation of orbits which had only some
periodic solutions. The condition for a periodic solution would probably appear as
a transcendental equation which would give the “quantised orbits”
These speculations confirm me in the belief that what we want next is the exact
solution of for two singularities—the field of two point masses.
With kind regards. Yours very sincerely,
G. B. Jeffery.
ALS [13 424].
[1]Jeffery (1891–1957) was reader in mathematics at King’s College, London.
[2]In response to a suggestion by Jeffery that he and W. Perrett would like to translate some of Ein-
stein’s papers on relativity into English, Einstein had sent him a copy of Lorentz et al. 1920 (see Ein-
stein to George B. Jeffery, 14 December 1920 [Vol. 10, Doc. 230]).
[3]During World War I in England, about 16,000 men applied for conscientious objector status.
Only those who refused alternative service were prosecuted, and about five thousand were imprisoned
(Millman 2000, pp. 194–195).
[4]Silberstein 1914 and Cunningham 1914.
[5]Emil J. Gumbel (1891–1966) was a member of the political advisory council of the Bund “Neues
Vaterland” (see Brenner 2001, pp. 4, 29–42, and 61).
[6]The third edition, published in 1920 (Lorentz et al. 1920), was expanded by adding the following
of Einstein’s papers on general relativity: Einstein 1911h, 1916e, 1916o, 1917b, and 1919a (Vol. 3,
Doc. 13; Vol. 6, Docs. 30, 41, and 43, and Vol. 7, Doc. 17, resp.).
[7]Jeffery 1921.
[8]This metric for the field of an electrically charged particle had previously been published by
Gunnar Nordström (Nordström 1918). As he stated in the published paper, Jeffery obtained this met-
ric without the knowledge of Nordström’s paper.
[9]Einstein 1916g, p. 696 (Vol. 6, Doc. 32). Einstein’s comments at the end of this paper that it
appears “daß die Quantentheorie nicht nur die Maxwellsche Elektrodynamik, sondern auch die neue
Gravitationstheorie wird modifizieren müssen” (“that quantum theory would have to modify not only
Maxwellian electrodynamics, but also the new theory of gravitation,” p. 356) are quoted in Jeffery
1921, p. 130. Einstein’s comments were reiterated in Einstein 1918a, p. 164 (Vol. 7, Doc. 1).
32. From Paul Zacharias
Nürnberg, d. 23. I. 21.
Sehr geehrter Herr Professor!
Der von mir vorausgesehene Angriff ist tatsächlich
erfolgt.[1]
Das beiliegende
Gedicht, das mir zugeschickt wurde und um dessen Rücksendung ich bitte, giebt
Ihnen den Beweis. Ausserdem war die Angelegenheit Lehmann-Rüssbuldt in Ver-
bindung mit Ihrer Person Gegenstand einer lebhaften Auseinandersetzung in einer
g
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