Description
First English edition of Investigations on the Theory of the Brownian Movement by Albert Einstein, proving the existence of atoms.
Octavo, viii, 124pp, [1], 8pp ads. Green cloth, title stamped in gilt on spine. Statement on copyright page, noting “This Translation First Published in 1926.” Publisher’s catalogue at rear. Ownership inscription on front free endpaper. A near fine example, faint toning to leaves, faint foxing to endpapers and title page, free of any marks or notations. In the publisher’s scarce dust jacket, in a delicate condition, retail price of “5/- net” on the spine, front hinge stabilized with archival tissue repair, toning to spine, a very good example. (Weil 129a)
Initially published in 1905 in the journal Annalen der Physik, Einstein’s work on the theory of Brownian movement provided the foundation for molecular physics. It was followed by a second paper in 1908, which suggested ways to test his theory. This work is the translation of Untersuchungen über die Theorie der ‘Brownschen Bewegung,’ published in Leipzig by Akademische Verlagsgesellschaft in 1922 (Weil 129). The theory of Brownian movement was tested by Jean Baptiste Perrin, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1926 for his experiments.
