PARIS: Albert Einstein relativity document sells for record €11m

PARIS: A manuscript with calculations
made by Albert Einstein as he attempted to formulate his theory of relativity
has sold at auction for €11m (£9.7m, $13m)

The sale
at Christie’s auction house in Paris broke the record for an autographed
scientific document.

It is one
of just two papers that show the theoretical physicist’s workings on his great
scientific breakthrough.

The
theory, published in 1915, transformed humankind’s understanding of space, time
and gravity.

The
manuscript of calculations was penned between 1913 and 1914 by Einstein and his
Swiss colleague Michele Besso, who kept hold of the document.

Christie’s
auction house praised Besso for his forward thinking in saving the manuscript.

“Einstein
is someone who kept very few notes, so the mere fact the manuscript survived
and made its way to us already makes it extraordinary,” Vincent Belloy, an
expert at the auction house said.

The
papers contain calculations in black pen and according to Mr Belloy, show a
number of errors in the journey to formulate the theory.

Christie’s
said the sale had “attracted collectors from all around the world who
recognised the importance of the document”.

However
the buyer of the 54-page paper has not been revealed.

Einstein’s
theory of relativity shed light on the birth of the universe, planetary orbits
and black holes.