The theorem that was none - I. Early history

Alfred Gautschy

Published 2015-04-30Version 1

The early history of the Vogt-Russell theorem is retraced following its route starting at the realization of a correlation between mass and luminosity of binary and pulsating stars, through the embossing of this observation into a theorem, and finally to the emerging first signs of its failure to serve as a theorem in the strict mathematical sense of the word.