2 3 8 D O C U M E N T 1 0 7 A U G U S T 1 9 2 0
Please accept with renewed thanks my most cordial and affectionate sentiments,
Your very devoted,
T. Levi-Civita
P.S. Since you have had the goodness to remember with interest the geometric com-
plement that I had occasion to add to the theory of Riemannian curvature, I must
draw your attention to two wonderful papers by Mr. J. Pérès (Professor at the Uni-
versity of Strasbourg) that are relevant: “Le parallélisme de M. Levi-Civita et la
courbure riemannienne” and “A propos de la notion de parallélisme dans une
variété quelconque” Rend. Dei Lincei, T. XXVIII (1.º semestre 1919), pp. 425–
428, and T. XXXIX (1.º sem. 1920), pp.
134–138.[5]
I will certainly write to Pérès
asking him to send you the offprints of them.
107. From Adolf F. Lindemann[1]
Sidholme, Sidmouth, 18 August 1920
Esteemed Professor,
What must you think of me for not having answered your kind letter of 30 Nov.
1919? Unfortunately I have a very good excuse; I was compelled to undergo a se-
rious operation on Christmas Eve, which tied me to my bed for many months and
in a very weak state. I have only recently been able to take up my former intellec-
tual work and was immediately overwhelmed with extremely important tasks.—
Not until today have I had time to answer in peace your friendly lines & beg you to
forgive my long silence. During this long period, your splendidly confirmed theory
has been very much discussed in England, as you know, and my son also partici-
pated besides Eddington +
Jeans.[2]
I had intended to make use of your very kind
information about yourself and your political views and for this purpose traveled to
London on 10 Dec. for the meeting of the Astr. Society, but could [do]
little.[3]
Through my illness, which was discovered two days later, all my good intentions
came to nothing and my son could act only indirectly and too late, as he stayed by
my sickbed for some time. At that time, and more strongly than today, that incom-
prehensible, hateful mentality was, unfortunately, [prevailing] in many scientists’
minds; otherwise you would surely have been awarded the Astr. Society’s Gold
Medal. I can tell you, in private, that it was merely a political issue and that, as you
probably know, in the end, no Gold Metal was conferred for that year. It will prob-
ably interest you that my son was elected to the council of the Roy. A. S. in the year
1920. To return to your [valued] letter, I would just like to correct one thing, and