GreekIslandGirl wrote:Cap wrote:Yeah, and Einstein spoke English. So?
Lovely man.
And who taught Einstein all he knew?
A special Greek ....
We all know about Albert Einstein, the founder of the theory of relativity but how about the person who taught him and showed him the way to a bright scientific journey which would change the world? That was his teacher, Konstantinos Karathodoris. During one of his last pubic appearance Albert Einstein said, “You ask me to answer to all sorts of questions, but noone has ever wanted to know who was my teacher, who showed me the way to the higher mathematical science, thought and research. I simply say that my teacher was the unrivalled Greek Konstantinos Karatheodoris, to who we owe everything…” Indeed, it was a Greek from Thrace. He has not only been in touch with Einstein but has also hepled him to complete the theory of relativity. The world’s mathematical community acknowledges the major offering and contrubution of “Kara” , as they name him when it comes to the research of higher mathematics. He started his studies at the age of 27 and until the last days of his life he kept writing critics and scientific studies. His cooperation and communication with Einstein for the theory of relativity is imprinted in the letters they exchanged, which know are exhibited in the museum “Karatheodoris ” in Komotini.
http://greece.greekreporter.com/2011/02 ... theodoris/
Caratheodory_Constantin_Greek.jpg
Not exactly his teacher, he only helped him with maths. This is the letter:
In 1916, Carathéodory when he was a full professor of mathematics in Göttingen, Germany he received this letter from Berlin:
Berlin, Sunday
Dear colleague!
I find your derivation wonderful, now I understand everything. At first, the small writing mistakes on the second page had caused me some difficulties. Now, however, I understand everything. You should publish the theory in this new form in the Annals of Physics since the physicists do not normally know anything about this subject as was also the case with me. With my letter I must have come across to you like a Berliner who had just discovered Grunewald and wondered whether people were already living there.
If you wouldn't mind also making the effort to present to me the canonical transfromations, you'll find in me a grateful and attentive audience. If you, however, answer the question about the closed time trajectories, I will appear before you with my hands folded. The underlying truth, though, is well worth some perspiration.
Best regards, your Albert Einstein.
Albert Einstein with his hands folded in front of Carathéodory. Those weren't just written words. Einstein's letter expresses the general sentiment towards Carathéodory at the time. At the acceptance of Carathéodory into the Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin in 1919, no one other than Max Planck gave the honorary dedication. In the previous year, 1918, Carathéodory had returned again to his birthplace, Berlin. What paths had taken him from Berlin to Berlin, and what an unusual life he had led.
The previously mentioned letter of Einstein was part of their correspondence about Hamilton-Jacobi theory. Albert Einstein had then around 1912 set aside his thoughts and ideas regarding general relativity theory and hoped with the help of the tools of Hamilton-Jacobi to arrive at deeper insights. With this in mind, on the 6th of September of 1916 he wrote to Carathéodory. At the end of his letter, Albert Einstein asked Carathéodory: "Would you think a little bit about the problem of closed time trajectories? Here lies the essence of this still unsolved part of the space-time problem. I wish you all the best from yours truly, A. Einstein."
Carathéodory answered on December 16, 1916: "Dear colleague, the main points in the theory of canonical substitutions can be most easily derived in my opinion in the following way." There then comes mathematical expressions from Hamilton-Jacobi theory. The composition ends ... "With best wishes, yours truly, C. Carathéodory."
Recently copies of letters between Einstein and Carathéodory from the period 1916 to 1930 were presented to the Greek officials from Israel's ambassador to Athens.
http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/new/Caratheodory.htmYou do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
