7

of radiation takes place in the stationary states, we must con-

sequently assume that the ordinary laws of electrodynamics
cannot be applied to these states without radical alterations.
In many cases, however, the effect of that part of the elec-
trodynamical forces which is connected with the emission of
radiation will at any moment be very small in comparison
with the effect of the simple electrostatic attractions or repul-
sions of the charged particles corresponding to Coulomb’s
law. Even if the theory of radiation must be completely al-
tered, it is therefore a natural assumption that it is possible
in such cases to obtain a close approximation in the descrip-
tion of the motion in the stationary states, by retaining only
the latter forces. In the following we shall therefore, as in
all the papers mentioned in the introduction, for the present
calculate the motions of the particles in the stationary states
as the motions of mass-points according to ordinary mechan-
ics including the modifications claimed by the theory of rel-
ativity, and we shall later in the discussion of the special
applications come back to the question of the degree of ap-
proximation which may be obtained in this way.
If next we consider a transition between two stationary
states, it is obvious at once from the essential discontinuity,
involved in the assumptions I and II, that in general it is im-
possible even approximately to describe this phenomenon by
means of ordinary mechanics or to calculate the frequency of
the radiation absorbed or emitted by such a process by means
of ordinary electrodynamics. On the other hand, from the
fact that it has been possible by means of ordinary mechan-