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Lot #243
Albert Einstein Autograph Letter Signed - A Mathematical Working Letter to Unified Field Theory Collaborator Chaim Herman Müntz

Einstein pens a dense mathematical postcard to his 'Unified Field Theory' collaborator

Estimate: $8000+

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Server Time: 5/19/2026 12:30:02 PM EDT
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Description

Einstein pens a dense mathematical postcard to his 'Unified Field Theory' collaborator

ALS in German, signed “A. Einstein,” one page both sides, 4 x 5.75, July 15, 1929. Handwritten letter to German mathematician Chaim Herman Muntz, beginning, in part (translated): "Here is an example of how to prove compatibility: Assume that the equations are compatible. The 12 equations can certainly be fulfilled." He writes out several mathematical expressions, concluding: "If, in a single step, the X4 terms vanish—that is, if they disappear everywhere—then all equations are satisfied. However, in my opinion, the fact that the temporal continuation is satisfied by these equations would require a specific proof." In fine condition.

Einstein began his correspondence with Muntz in 1927, and in 1928 was writing to him on 'distant parallelism,' an extension of Riemannian geometry in which new mathematical objects, called 'tetrads' are introduced, which allow for the comparison of the direction of vectors at distant points of the spacetime. This letter is affiliated with those investigations, which Einstein felt to be important as a mathematical attempt at a unified field theory—the incorporation of electromagnetism and gravitation in a single field theory. Although he published a number of papers on the subject from 1928 to 1931, the work is considered inaccurate and not recognized by physicists of today.

During this period Einstein was working closely with colleagues Herman Muntz and Cornelius Lantz on formalizing the 'Unified Field Theory of Gravitational Force and Electromagnetism.' Einstein’s article 'On Unified Field Theory' was presented on January 10, 1929, and published on January 30, 1929, by the Prussian Academy of Sciences. In the article he discloses the final stages of the development of this theory, and it reveals critical stages in the solution that he presents. The theory tried to achieve one unified formula that would unite the electromagnetic and gravitational fields and present them as different manifestations of a single universal force. At the article's close, Einstein expresses appreciation for Muntz's assistance: 'It is my pleasant duty to thank Dr. H. Müntz for his laboriously precise calculation of the centrally symmetric problem on the basis of Hamilton’s principle the results of his calculation suggested to me the method used here.'

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