Abstract
Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr belong to the pioneers of quantum physics. Their contribution to the development of the theory was based on different expectations and research programs. After non-relativistic quantum mechanics had been developed, their debate touched on all the central aspects of the interpretation of this theory, which revolutionized the world view of physics. They were thus also confronted with the epistemological, methodological and world-view related implications of the development of physics in the 20th century. Therefore, it certainly does no injustice to Erwin Schrödinger’s extraordinary scientific contributions to the development of wave mechanics to analyze bis position in the intellectual debate between those two scholars, who admired each other and later became friends. We will focus here on letters, or excerpts of letters.
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Notes
I would like to thank all legal successors for allowing me to quote so extensively from the material cited here. The director of the Niel Bohr Archives in Copenhagem, Mr. Erik Rüdinger, was kind enough to give me access to the „Bohr Scientific Correspondence“ (BSC) and the „Archives for the History of Quantum Physics“ (AHQP). In the quotation reference, the numbers before the comma refer to a specific microfilm, whereas the number after the comma refers to a specific section of the microfilm (e.g., AHQP 37,5 means: „Archives for the History of Quantum Physics“ microfilm number 37, section 5).
N. Bohr, Discussion with Einstein on epistemological problems in atomic physics, in: P. A. Schilpp (ed.), Albert Einstein: Philosopher and Scientist, Evaston, Illinois 1949, p. 199; A. Einstein, remarks on the works included in this volume, ibid., p. 494.
For detailed comments of the author on this issue as well as further literature see: U. Röseberg, Szenarium einer Revolution. Nichtrelativistische Quantenmechanik und philosophische Widerspruchsproblematik, Berlin 1984.
E. Schrödinger, Mein Leben, meine Weltansieht, Vienna, 1985, p. 71.
op.cit., p. 73.
M. Born, in a letter to E. Schrödinger, 2 17.1951, in: AHQP 37,3.
E. Schrödinger, in a letter to Franz Theodor Csokor, 10.17.1960, in: E. Schrüdinger, Mein Leben, meine Weltansieht, a.a.O., p. 2.
ibid., p. 55.
N. Bohr, in a letter to G. Hevesy, 1.25.1926, in: BSC 11,3.
W. Pauli, in a letter to A. Sommerfeld, 2.9.1926, in: W. Pauli, Scientifie Correspondenee with Bohr, Einstein, Heisenberg, et al. (referred to in the following as PWB), vol.1, New York, Heidelberg, Berlin 1979, p. 293.
W. Pauli, in a letter to E. Schrödinger, 5.24.1926, in PWB 1, p. 324–326.
M. Planck, in a letter to E. Schrödinger, 4.2.1926, in: Schrödinger, Planek, Einstein, Lorentz, Letters on Wave Mechanies, Vienna 1963, p. 3.
A. Einstein, in a letter to E. Schrödinger, 4.26.1926, in: Schrödinger et. al., Letters on Wave Mechanies, loc.cit. p. 26.
cf. W. Heisenberg, Der Teil und das Ganze, Munich 1969, p. 104 ff.
H. A. Kramers in a letter to E. Schrödinger, 6.15.1926, in: AHQP 41,8.
E. Schrödinger, in a letter to M. Born, 11.2.1926, in: AHQP 41,7.
E. Schrödinger, in a letter, 10.23.1926, in: N. Bohr, Collected Works (referred to the in following as NBCW), vol. 6, Amsterdam, New York, Oxford, Tokyo 1985, p. 459–461.
Many writers on the subject have pointed out that Schrödinger, in 1924, expressly welcomed the new radiation theory of Bohr, Kramers and Slater referring to Exner’s position on the universality of statisticallaws which was a continuation of Boltzmann’s ideas. At the time he wrote to Bohr that he had long been considering the idea „that the basis of our statistics is probably not microscopic ’regularity,’ but rather perhaps ’absolute chance’ and that perhaps even energy and impulse theorems are only valid in a statistical sense.“ (E. Schrödinger, in a letter to N. Bohr, 5.24.1924, in: NBCW 5, Amsterdam ... 1984, p. 490.) After the strict validity of the energy and impulse law at least for the area being dealt with here, had been experimentally proven, Schrödinger no longer endorsed the general validity of statisticallaws with his initial vehemence but at the same time he did not claim the opposite.
E. Schrödinger, in a letter to W.Wien, 10.21.1926, in: AHQP 41,11.
cf. M. Born, in a letter to E. Schrödinger, 5.16.1927, in: AHQP 41,7.
ibid.
M. Born, in a letter to E. Schrödinger, 11.6.1926, in: AHQP 41,7.
E. Schrödinger, in a letter to G. Joos, 11.6.1926, in: AHQP 41,7.
ibid.
ibid.
E. Schrödinger, in a letter to N. Bohr, 11.25.1926, in: BSC 16,2.
E. Schrödinger, in a letter to H. A. Kramers, 11.19.1926, in: AHQP 41,8.
E. Schrödinger, in a letter to M. Born, 6.8.1927, in: AHQP 41,7.
E. Schrödinger, in a letter to M. Born, 5.6.1927, in: AHQP 41,7.
N. Bohr, in a letterto A. Einstein,4.13.1927, in: NBCW 6,p. 419
cf. U. Röseberg, Niels Bohr, Leben und Werk eines Atomphysikers, Berlin 1985, pp. 156 ff.
E. Schrödinger, in a letter to N. Bohr, 5.5.1928, NBCW 6, p. 464.
N. Bohr, in a letter to E. Schrödinger, 5.23.1928, NBCW 6, p. 465.
A. Einstein, in a letter to E. Schrüdinger, in: Schrödinger, Planck, Einstein, Lorentz, Letters on Wave Mechanics, New York 1967.
E. Schrödinger, in a letter to N. Bohr, 9.25.1930, in: BSC 25,3.
E. Schrödinger, in a letter to N. Bohr, 4.29.1931, in: BSC 25,3.
ibid.
N. Bohr, in a letter to E. Schrödinger, 5.8.1931, in: BSC 25,3.
ibid.
W. Heisenberg, in a letter to N. Bohr, 9.29.1935, in BSC 20,2.
N. Bohr, in a letter to Ph. Frank, 1.14.1936, in: BSC 19,3.
A. Einstein, in a letter to E. Schrödinger, 3.23.1936, in: AHQP 37,5. This letter is quoted with friendly permission of the Albert Einstein Archive (Hebrew University of Jerusalern.)
A. Einstein, in a letter to E. Schrödinger, 8.9.1939, in: Schrödinger, Planck, Einstein, Lorentz, Letters on Wave Mechanics, pp. 32–33.
ibid.
E. Schrödinger, in a letter to A. Sommerfeld, 2.13.1949, in: AHQP 37,12.
A. Einstein, in a letter, 12.22.1950, in: Schrödinger, Planck, Einstein, Lorentz, op.cit.
ibid.
ibid., pp. 36-37.
E. Schrödinger, in a letter to M. v. Laue, 3.11.1951, in: AHQP 37,8.
E. Schrödinger, in a letter to M. Born, 2.11.1951, in: AHQP 37,3.
ibid.
E. Schrödinger, in a letter to N. Bohr, 6.3.1952, in: BSC 32,3.
cf. U. Röseberg, Determinismus und Physik, Berlin 1975, p. 76 ff.
M. Born, in a letter to E. Schrödinger, 1.11.1954, in: AHQP 37,3.
M. Born, in a letter to E. Schrödinger, 7.25.1952, in: AHQP 37.
cf. A. Einstein, M. Born, Correspondence 1916-1955, Hamburg 1972, p. 200.
W. Pauli, in a letter to E. Schrödinger, in: AHQP 37,10.
ibid.
E. Schrödinger, in a letter to A. March, in: AHQP 37,9.
ibid.
N. Bohr, in an undated letter (1952?) to E. Schrödinger, in: BSC 32,3.
M. Born, in a letterto E. Schrödinger, 7.25.1952, in: AHQP 37,3.
W. Heisenberg, in a letter to E. Schrödinger, 10.30.1952, in: AHQP 37,7.
W. Pauli, in a letter to Schrödinger, 6.26.1952, in: AHQP 37,10.
E. Schrödinger, in a letter to M. Born, 4.11.1953, in: AHQO 37,3.
E. Schrödinger, in a letter to W. Pauli, 1.31.1955, in: AHQP 37,10.
E. Schrödinger, in a letter to H. Margenau, 4.12.1955, in: AHQP 37,9.
ibid.
B. Russell, in a letter to E. Schrödinger, 5.23.1952, in: AHQP 37,11.
AHQP 37,10 includes 6 letters with a total of 20 pages of correspondence between Popper and Schrödinger.
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Röseberg, U. (1992). Erwin Schrödinger’s Position in the Einstein-Bohr Debate. In: Götschl, J. (eds) Erwin Schrödinger’s World View. Theory and Decision Library, vol 16. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-2428-7_14
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