TY - JOUR
T1 - Insuperable difficulties
T2 - Einstein's statistical road to molecular physics
AU - Uffink, Jos
PY - 2006/3
Y1 - 2006/3
N2 - In this essay I analyze Einstein's statistical papers from 1902 to 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.
AB - In this essay I analyze Einstein's statistical papers from 1902 to 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.
KW - Boltzmann
KW - Einstein
KW - Entropy
KW - Kleiner
KW - Molecules
KW - Statistical physics
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U2 - 10.1016/j.shpsb.2005.07.004
DO - 10.1016/j.shpsb.2005.07.004
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33344468775
SN - 1355-2198
VL - 37
SP - 36
EP - 70
JO - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B - Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics
JF - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B - Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics
IS - 1 SPEC. ISS.
ER -