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Lot 442
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R. Feynman Manuscript Featuring 16 Lines of Mathematical Equations & A Coordinate Plane, Found Tucked in an Old Zoology Textbook!
R. Feynman Manuscript Featuring 16 Lines of Mathematical Equations & A Coordinate Plane, Found Tucked in an Old Zoology Textbook!
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Description:

Richard Feynman Manuscript Featuring 16 Lines of Mathematical Equations & A Coordinate Plane, Found Tucked in an Old Zoology Textbook!

A paper fragment, being the reverse of part of an American Airlines boarding pass, entirely engrossed in the hand of Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard P. Feynman (1918-1988). N.d., but ca. 1947-1965. N.p. The manuscript is displayed in a floating mount to the right of a high-quality black and white photo reproduction of Feynman, in a cream-colored mat with a gilt filet. The paper fragment measures 3.75" x 7" while the overall mat measures 16" x 12.5" x 1.25" Provenance: Ex-Sotheby's, Ex-Richard P. Feynman Family. Accompanied by extensive email correspondence with a Professor of Physics from Yale University; the C.R. Smith Museum; and the World Airline Historical Society, to be further elaborated below.

Feynman's manuscript contains approximately 16 lines of mathematical equations, written below his probable flight number, 210, and his departure time of 9:15 AM. His calculations feature the variables E, R, I, N, d, v, b, g, z, and h. Feynman's notes include shorthand symbols from classical logic, such as ∝, meaning "is proportional to," as well as ∑, meaning the sum of a finite number of terms, drawn from linear and multilinear algebra. An original drawing of a coordinate plane showing the position of b appears in the upper left corner. This was definitely a working manuscript; Feynman has scribbled out nine different notations verso and even doodled on the recto.

We consulted a Professor of Physics at Yale University for help on decoding the content of the manuscript. The professor believed that the notes were related to Feynman's teaching as opposed to original research. The professor wrote in part: "The formula mgh describes the potential energy of a mass m in the gravitational field of the earth. If it is dropped from the height h, it will have this much kinetic energy when it hits the ground. This is an expression found in every introductory physics text, even at the high school level…But there is more going on here, which I don't yet understand. Feynman seems to be thinking that the mass m is made of a collection of atoms…"

Feynman wrote these notes on the back of an American Airlines boarding pass that was found tucked inside of one of his old graduate school textbooks, Mary Guthrie and Winterton Curtis's "Textbook of Zoology" (New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1933.) Feynman's inscription on the textbook flyleaf indicates that he used it while obtaining his doctorate degree from Princeton University around 1941. We speculate that Feynman had reason to consult this textbook, possibly while traveling to a conference, and forgot about these notes written on the back of a boarding pass. Perhaps this was the only scratch paper available while waiting at the gate prior to boarding!

Determining the date of the boarding pass helps us to date Feynman's manuscript. The boarding pass is an example of AA Form T26S ticketing stock, which was officially in use by American Airlines from June 1947 through October 1962. The outer extent of this range should be extended to at least 1965, as it was common for airline companies to use up existing ticketing stock before re-ordering new ones. We checked with several airline history museums and historical societies in order to establish this time range. The estimate was based partly on archival research, anecdotal experience, and identifying the type of eagle insignia and logotype on the boarding pass.

The boarding pass dates our manuscript, then, from ca. 1947-1965, during the first phase of Feynman's university-level teaching at Cornell University and the California Institute of Technology. Feynman taught at Cornell between 1945-1949, and he later served as a professor of physics at Caltech between 1950-1988. These notes were therefore almost certainly produced during the first 20-year period of his teaching career.

Of considerable interest was the Yale University professor's comment that Feynman's notes were likely for teaching purposes and not for independent research. Feynman conducted significant research during this period. He theorized about equations of rotation and quaternions at Cornell, and while there debuted his first Feynman diagram. Feynman went on to explore quantum gravity and weak decay at Caltech. Feynman's research is certainly formidable, but his contributions to pedagogy should never be underestimated. In fact, one of Feynman's greatest legacies is the "Feynman Lectures on Physics," material which he presented to his undergraduate students between 1961-1963 and later published in a widely reprinted series translated into twelve languages. Feynman was celebrated for the way he illuminated difficult subjects. His students eagerly responded to his clear and accessible teaching style.

Richard Feynman was a co-winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965. His many contributions to the field of theoretical physics include research/discoveries in quantum computing, quantum mechanics, quantum electrodynamics, particle physics, nanotechnology, and the fluidity of elements based on temperature.

Provenance: 

1. Property From The Family Of Richard P. Feynman

2. Sotheby's April 2021, in a group of books but then undiscovered

The lot is accompanied by background research related to the physics behind Feynman's notations; and in determining the approximate date of the vintage boarding pass.

Research includes:

- Email correspondence exchanged between University Archives and a Professor of Physics at Yale University, June 9 - June 21, 2021

- Email correspondence exchanged between University Archives and the Archivist at C.R. Smith Museum (Fort Worth, Texas) on June 21, 2021. The museum, which opened in 1993, is dedicated to the history of American Airlines.

- Email correspondence exchanged between University Archives and the Managing Editor of the World Airline Historical Society Journal associated with the World Airline Historical Society (Hollywood, Florida), June 21-June 23, 2021.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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