D O C U M E N T 1 0 6 A U G U S T 1 9 2 0 3 7 9
P. S. Dacchè Ella ha avuto la bontà di ricordare con interesse il complemento geo-
metrico che ebbi occasione di apportare alla teoria della curvatura riemanniana, mi
faccio dovere di segnalarle due belle not[e] che vi si riattaccano, dovute al sig. J.
Pérès (Professore all’Università di Strasburgo): «Le parallélisme de M. Levi-Civita
et la courbure riemannienne» e «A propos de la notion de parallélisme dans une va-
riété quelconque» Rend. dei Lincei, T. XXVIII (1. semestre 1919), pp. 425–428,
e T. XXIX (1. sem. 1920), pp.
134–138.[5]
Scrivo senz’altro al Pérès pregandolo
di inviargliene gli estratti.
TRANSLATION
Padua, 18-VIII-1920
Illustrious and dear Colleague,
Thank you very much for your extremely enjoyable letter of the
11th
instant and for ha-
ving satisfied my wishes regarding the two offprints with such thoughtful
courtesy,[1]
ad-
ding a third equally appreciated.
I immediately communicated your cordial assent to the Italian translation to Engineer
Calisse with instructions to contact Vieweg for the editorial
work.[2]
I join most fervidly in the wish that the true intellectuals very soon regain the sense of
international solidarity, scientific and human, so sadly lost, even perverted, during the war.
It is true that in Italy the majority of colleagues have again become reasonable, but, un-
fortunately, there is still a not negligible minority in the world that thinks and works in a
non-international way.
You warned me that the paper “Gravitationsfelder im Aufbau etc.” should be considered
only as a first
attempt.[3]
I understand, but meanwhile I have already read the paper with
the most intense interest and I intend to study it as required by the exceptional importance
of the topic, given that by now it is no longer acceptable to doubt the existence and stability
of the electron.
Permit me, finally, to justify my reference to
Newton,[4]
relying on the authority of La-
grange for support. He wrote that Newton is unique, unique being the discovery of the sy-
stem of the world. Now, from a speculative point of view, relativity has changed the scheme
in such a profound way that we find ourselves unquestionably at the forefront of a new dis-
covery of the system of the world. It is not, therefore, because of a proselyte’s enthusiasm
that I, alluding to the Newton of our day, offend your modesty.
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 complement
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 University 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 cer-
tainly write to Pérès asking him to send you the offprints of them.