1073 
on Newton's theory will differ from those obtained on EINsTEIN’s 
theory only by small quantities of the same order as the square of 
the velocities of the bodies. This circumstance is remarkable on 
account of the fact, that in Einstein's theory all gravitational influ- 
ence is propagated in space with the velocity of light, as it is 
e.g. indicated by the formulae (13), which have the form of retarded 
potentials. From this we might at first hand infer, that there might 
be discrepancies between the results of Einstrin’s and of Newron’s 
theories of the same order of magnitude as the first power of the 
velocity of the earth. A closer consideration, into which for the — 
sake of brevity we will not enter here, shows however, that for the 
system under consideration small terms of this order will just com- 
pensate each other, a circumstance which is completely analogous 
to similar well-known phenomena with which we meet in the 
theory of electrons, whose interaction may be calculated by means 
of retarded potentials. 
Conclusions of this paragraph. 
It has been found that, in’ confirmation of an idea for the first 
time put forward by Scuovuten, the gravitation theory of EINSTEIN 
leads to the result, that theoretically there will exist a contribution 
to the value of the precession of the rotation axis of the earth, 
which did not appear on Newton’s theory, and which is independ- 
ent of the constitution of the body of the earth, and which amounts . 
to a progressive precession of 0,019 arc seconds annually. In the 
calculations, the influence of the mass of the earth was neglected ; 
if it is taken into account, there may arise a modification in the 
value of the precession, which relative to the main term in the 
expression for this precession is of the same order of magnitude 
as the ratio of the mass of the earth to that of the sun. In the 
considerations no regard has been paid to the contribution to the 
precession arising from the influence of the moon. 
