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Concept
Annus mirabilis papers
Summary
The annus mirabilis papers (from Latin annus mīrābilis, "miracle year") are the four papers that Albert Einstein published in Annalen der Physik (Annals of Physics), a scientific journal, in 1905. These four papers were major contributions to the foundation of modern physics. They revolutionized science's understanding of the fundamental concepts of space, time, mass, and energy. Because Einstein published these remarkable papers in a single year, 1905 is called his annus mirabilis (miracle year in English or Wunderjahr in German).
The first paper explained the photoelectric effect, which established the energy of the light quanta , and was the only specific discovery mentioned in the citation awarding Einstein the Nobel Prize in Physics.
The second paper explained Brownian motion, which established the Einstein relation and led reluctant physicists to accept the existence of atoms.
The third paper introduced Einstein's theory of special relativity, which used the universal constant speed of light to derive the Lorentz transformations.
The fourth, a consequence of the theory of special relativity, developed the principle of mass–energy equivalence, expressed in the famous equation and which led to the discovery and use of atomic energy decades later.
These four papers, together with quantum mechanics and Einstein's later theory of general relativity, are the foundation of modern physics.
At the time the papers were written, Einstein did not have easy access to a complete set of scientific reference materials, although he did regularly read and contribute reviews to Annalen der Physik. Additionally, scientific colleagues available to discuss his theories were few. He worked as an examiner at the Patent Office in Bern, Switzerland, and he later said of a co-worker there, Michele Besso, that he "could not have found a better sounding board for my ideas in all of Europe". In addition, co-workers and the other members of the self-styled "Olympia Academy" (Maurice Solovine and Conrad Habicht) and his wife, Mileva Marić, had some influence on Einstein's work, but how much is unclear.
Official source
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