The amiable Einstein and Nordström

Schucking replies: The uncharitable story that Albert Einstein refused to see physicist Gunnar Nordström, who had traveled from Finland to Zürich, Switzerland, to discuss his theory of gravitation, does not accord with the events as recounted by Paul Ehrenfest. For almost a month in June and July 1913, Ehrenfest stayed with Einstein in Zürich. In his diary for 13 June through 1 July of that year, ¹ particularly in the entry for 29 June, Ehrenfest says that Einstein and Nordström discussed their gravitational theories during Nordström’s visit. Based on those discussions, Nordström published an improved version of his theory, dated Zürich, July 1913, in which he thanked Einstein directly. In his September 1913 lecture in Vienna, Einstein extensively discussed Nordström’s new version and made it clear that it was a viable alternative to his own then unfinished theory. The relationship between Einstein’s and Nordström’s theories is analyzed in The Genesis of General Relativity . ² The volume also contains English translations of Nordström’s papers.