The Einstein-Wertheimer correspondence on geometric proofs and mathematical puzzles

DOI10.1007/BF03024003MaRDI QIDQ916634zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Abraham S. Luchins, Edith H. Luchins

Publication date 1990

Published in The Mathematical Intelligencer (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://doi.org/10.1007/bf03024003

zbMATH Keywords

BornGestalt psychologyMenelaus theoremsimplicity of laws

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

History of mathematics in the 20th century (01A60) Biographies, obituaries, personalia, bibliographies (01A70)

Review text

The authors had edited the Wertheimer-Einstein correspondence in 1979, but at that time some of the letters had not yet been found. Beginning with an outline of the life and career of Max Wertheimer (1880--1943), the authors fill this gap by editing the missing three letters. These three letters, originally written in German and only parts of it in English, are given here in an English translation together with a commentary. All letters were written most probably in 1937. In the first letter (Einstein to Wertheimer) the subject is the theorem of Menelaus; Einstein presents a so-called ugly proof and an elegant proof. In the second letter Wertheimer described two puzzles, i.e. brain teasers. The third letter shows that Einstein was only fooled by the first problem. The article is supplied with several photos as well as a photomontage representing Wertheimer, Einstein and Born.

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Cites work

• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1305320 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3359295 (Why is no real title available?)
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 3404197 (Why is no real title available?)
• The Einstein-Wertheimer correspondence on geometric proofs and mathematical puzzles

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(9)

• Modelling and computing homotopy types: I
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• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 2098008 (Why is no real title available?)
• Inequalities Applied to Kinematic Quantities
• Albert Einstein's school-leaving examination in mathematics 1896
• Deus ex machina and the aesthetics of proof
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