Four manuscripts which changed the world


In 1905 A. Einstein, a technical expert of 3rd level in Swiss Bureau of Patents published in the 17th volume of the “Annalen der Physik” three articles, written in almost two months periods: in March about the emission and transformation of the llight [1], im May about the thermal motion of the suspended particles in a liquid [2] and the last, at end of June on the electrodynamics of moving objects [3]. In volume 18th, published in September - the text on the mass of moving objects [4].

Those were not first works of Einstein,in 1901 he wrote about the capillarity, in years 1902-1904 some works on thermodynamics. In 1907 [5] replying to Planck’s work he wrote: “… Mr. Planck introduced new hypothetical element to the physics – a photon hypothesis”. But his works from 1905 were the most extraordinary: very few men, may be except Newton in 1701, published so many new ideas in such short time.

Four manuscripts from 1905 changed our understanding of Physics. Having in mind that the relativistic effect of the mass – means the atomic energy, and the assumptions about photon populations – mean lasers, these manuscripts changed all our contemporary world.


[1] Über einen die Erzeugung und Verwandlung des Lichtes betreffendedn heuristichen Gesichtspunkt, Annalen der Physik 17 (1905) 133-148 [About emmision and transformation of the light from heuristic point of wiev]
[2] Über die von molekularkinetichen Theori der Wärma gefordert Bewegung von in ruhenden Flüssigkeiten suspendierten Teilchen, Annalen der Physik 17 (1905) 549-560 [About thermal movement of the particles in non movemenent liquids on base of the molecular thermal theory]
[3] Zur Elektrodynamik bewegter Körper, Annalen der Physik 17 (1905) 891-921 [About electrodynamics of bodies in movement]
[4] Ist die Trägheit eines Körpes von seinem Energieinhalt abhänging, Annalen der Physik 18 (1906) 639-641 [Is inertion of bodies depended on their energy?]

[1] The first text explains the photovoltaic effect and brought to Einstein the Nobel Prize. But this text was not  born  "just from  abstract mind - means vacuum". In 6th paragraph Einstein discussed Planck's results, in 7th - the Stock's rule why the emmision spectrum is shifted in comparison to the absorption spectrum. On final pages, based on the newest Lenard's results (who in 1902 showed that photoelectron energy did not in depend on the intensity of light) Einstein writes formula for the work potential W=Ekin -hv .

[2] The second text is about Brown's movement. Assuming that the particles suspended in a liquid are of spherical shape with P radius, the mean distance of their departure from origin in time t depend on temperature T , viscosity  k and Avogadro's number N

Einstein explains phenomena known almost one hundred years: not only shows that something really small (atoms) can cause macroscopic (according to his calculations a movement with the speed of 0.8 micron/sec for 1 micron particles at room temperature) but in some way he demonstrates the very existence of atoms and as he writes: "giving a new way to determine their size".
[3] "About electrodynamics of bodies in movement",  that classic lecture of particular theory of relativity.  Assuming the constancy of lightspeed in different reference systems, Einstein derives Lorentz's transformations for this system.  He prooves that that Maxwell's laws do not change for these transformations, he also makes considerations on a Doppler's effect and the dynamics of electrons in motion. This article puts the basis for the relativity theory, however it does not develope them.

[4] In that work, again coming from a constant speed of light V, Einstein gives the formula for the change of objects mass, if they emmit the energy L. Thist change is equal, using Einstein's symbols - L/V2 .