Insuperable difficulties: Einstein’s statistical road to molecular physics
نویسنده
چکیده
In this essay I analyze Einstein’s statistical papers from 1902–1904. In these papers, Einstein developed the foundations of a theoretical program that he applied to concrete problems in 1905 and in subsequent years. It combined skepticism about classical mechanics, a firm belief in molecules, and absolute confidence in statistical principles. However, Einstein’s dissertation does not follow his statistical program. I conjecture that Einstein avoided his own theoretical ideas to win the approval of his Ph. D. advisor, Alfred Kleiner.
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