On the History of Unified Field Theories. Part II.
(ca. 1930 – ca. 1965)

doi:doi:10.12942/lrr-2014-5

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"On the History of Unified Field Theories. Part II. (ca. 1930 – ca. 1965)"

Hubert F. M. Goenner

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	Abstract
1	Introduction
2	Mathematical Preliminaries
	2.1	Metrical structure
	2.2	Symmetries
	2.3	Affine geometry
	2.4	Differential forms
	2.5	Classification of geometries
	2.6	Number fields
3	Interlude: Meanderings – UFT in the late 1930s and the 1940s
	3.1	Projective and conformal relativity theory
	3.2	Continued studies of Kaluza–Klein theory in Princeton, and elsewhere
	3.3	Non-local fields
4	Unified Field Theory and Quantum Mechanics
	4.1	The impact of Schrödinger’s and Dirac’s equations
	4.2	Other approaches
	4.3	Wave geometry
5	Born–Infeld Theory
6	Affine Geometry: Schrödinger as an Ardent Player
	6.1	A unitary theory of physical fields
	6.2	Semi-symmetric connection
7	Mixed Geometry: Einstein’s New Attempt
	7.1	Formal and physical motivation
	7.2	Einstein 1945
	7.3	Einstein–Straus 1946 and the weak field equations
8	Schrödinger II: Arbitrary Affine Connection
	8.1	Schrödinger’s debacle
	8.2	Recovery
	8.3	First exact solutions
9	Einstein II: From 1948 on
	9.1	A period of undecidedness (1949/50)
	9.2	Einstein 1950
	9.3	Einstein 1953
	9.4	Einstein 1954/55
	9.5	Reactions to Einstein–Kaufman
	9.6	More exact solutions
	9.7	Interpretative problems
	9.8	The role of additional symmetries
10	Einstein–Schrödinger Theory in Paris
	10.1	Marie-Antoinette Tonnelat and Einstein’s Unified Field Theory
	10.2	Tonnelat’s research on UFT in 1946 – 1952
	10.3	Some further developments
	10.4	Further work on unified field theory around M.-A. Tonnelat
	10.5	Research by and around André Lichnerowicz
11	Higher-Dimensional Theories Generalizing Kaluza’s
	11.1	5-dimensional theories: Jordan–Thiry theory
	11.2	6- and 8-dimensional theories
12	Further Contributions from the United States
	12.1	Eisenhart in Princeton
	12.2	Hlavatý at Indiana University
	12.3	Other contributions
13	Research in other English Speaking Countries
	13.1	England and elsewhere
	13.2	Australia
	13.3	India
14	Additional Contributions from Japan
15	Research in Italy
	15.1	Introduction
	15.2	Approximative study of field equations
	15.3	Equations of motion for point particles
16	The Move Away from Einstein–Schrödinger Theory and UFT
	16.1	Theories of gravitation and electricity in Minkowski space
	16.2	Linear theory and quantization
	16.3	Linear theory and spin-1/2-particles
	16.4	Quantization of Einstein–Schrödinger theory?
17	Alternative Geometries
	17.1	Lyra geometry
	17.2	Finsler geometry and unified field theory
18	Mutual Influence and Interaction of Research Groups
	18.1	Sociology of science
	18.2	After 1945: an international research effort
19	On the Conceptual and Methodic Structure of Unified Field Theory
	19.1	General issues
	19.2	Observations on psychological and philosophical positions
20	Concluding Comment
	Acknowledgements
	References
	Footnotes
	Biographies

On the History of Unified Field Theories. Part II. (ca. 1930 – ca. 1965)

Hubert F. M. Goenner

Abstract

The present review intends to provide an overall picture of the research concerning classical unified field theory, worldwide, in the decades between the mid-1930 and mid-1960. Main themes are the conceptual and methodical development of the field, the interaction among the scientists working in it, their opinions and interpretations. Next to the most prominent players, A. Einstein and E. Schrödinger, V. Hlavatý and the French groups around A. Lichnerowicz, M.-A. Tonnelat, and Y. Thiry are presented. It is shown that they have given contributions of comparable importance. The review also includes a few sections on the fringes of the central topic like Born–Infeld electromagnetic theory or scalar-tensor theory. Some comments on the structure and organization of research-groups are also made.

Keywords: Unified field theory, Differential geometry, History of science