Albert Einstein

’s Life Essay, Research Paper

Albert Einstein

In the next few pages I will talk about a famous mathematician I decided to choose and write an essay about. I chose probably the most well known mathematician/inventor in the world, his name is Albert Einstein. I chose him because he is the one I know the most about and finding information would not have been as hard. In the next few pages I will tell you about his life as a kid, his life as a mathematician, and his life as an inventor.

His name was Albert Einstein. He was born on March 14, 1879 in Ulm, Germany. Before his first birthday, his family had moved to Munich were Albert’s father, Hermann Einstein, and uncle set up a small Electro-chemical business. Albert was a very lucky kid because he was one of the few kids that were very close with their family. Albert’s mother, Pauline Einstein, had an intense passion for music and literature, and it was she that first introduced her son to the violin in which he found much joy and relaxation. Also, he was very close with his younger sister, Maja, and they could often be found in the lakes that were scattered about the countryside near Munich.

As a child, Einstein’s sense of curiosity had already begun to stir. A favorite toy of his was his fathers compass, and he often marveled at his uncle’s explanations of algebra. Although Albert was intrigued by certain mysteries of science, he was considered a slow learner. His failure to become fluent in German until the age of nine even led some teachers to believe he was disabled.

Einstein’s post-basic education began at the Luitpold Gymnasium when he was ten. It was here that he first encountered the German spirit through the school’s strict disciplinary policy. His disapproval of this method of teaching led to his reputation as a rebel. It was probably these differences that caused Einstein to search for knowledge at home. He began not with science, but with religion. He would read the bible most of the day seeking truth, but his religious fervor soon died down when he discovered the intrigue of science and math. To him, these seemed much more realistic than ancient stories. With this new knowledge he disliked class even more. So from already skipping about two times a week it turned to four or five which soon led to his getting expelled from Luitpold Gymnasium, because they considered him a disruptive influence.

Feeling that he could no longer take the attitude of Germany he decided to move to Switzerland where he could continue his education. At sixteen he attempted to enroll at the Federal Institute of Technology but failed the entrance exam. This forced him to study locally for one year until he finally passed the schools evaluation. The Institute allowed Einstein to meet many other students that shared his curiosity, and it was here that his studies turned mainly to Physics. He quickly learned that while physicists had generally agreed on major principals in the past, there were modern scientists who were attempting to disapprove outdated theories. Since most of Einstein’s teachers ignored these new ideas, he was again forced to explore on his own. In 1900 he graduated from the Institute and then achieved citizenship to Switzerland.

A group of students that he tutored quickly transformed onto a social club that shared a love of nature, music, and of course science. In 1903 he married Mileva Meric, A mathematician friend.

In 1905, Einstein published five separate papers in a journal, the Annals of Physics. The first was immediately acknowledged, and the University of Zurich awarded Einstein an additional degree. The other papers helped to develop modern physics and earned him the reputation of an artist. Many scientists have said that Einstein’s work contained an imaginative spirit that was seen in most poetry. His work at this time dealt with molecules, and how their motion affected temperature, but he is most well known for his Special Theory of Relativity, which tackled motion and the speed of light. Perhaps the most important part of his discoveries was the equation: E= mc2.

After publishing these theories Einstein was promoted at his office. He remained at the Patents office for another two years, but his name was becoming too big among the scientific community. In 1908, Einstein began teaching part time at the University of Berne, and the following year, at the age of thirty, he became employed full time by Zurich University. Einstein was now able to move to Prague with his wife and two sons, Hans Albert and Eduard. Finally, after being promoted to a professor, Einstein and his family were able to enjoy a good living, but the jobs main advantage was he was able to enter enormous libraries. That is where he would go to further his theories. In 1912 he chose to accept a job placing him in high authority at the Federal Institute of Technology, were he had originally studied. It was not until 1914 that Einstein was tempted to return to Germany to become research director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics.

World War 1 had a strong effect on Einstein. While the rest of Germany supported the army, he felt the war was unnecessary, and disgusting. The new weapons of war, which attempted to mass slaughter people, caused him to devote much of his life toward creating peace. Toward the end of the war Einstein joined a political party that worked to