Is it true that Albert Einstein's wife helped a lot in developing the Special and General theories of Relativity, but doesn't get the credit she deserves?

by [deleted]

My mom told me a few weeks ago that Einstein had a lot of help from his wife developing his famous work like special and general relativity, and that his wife doesn't get the credit she deserves.

My mom also said Einstein's wife actually had a higher IQ than Einstein and was smarter.

Can someone help me determine what the truth is in regards to this please?

enochian

Einsteins first wife, Mileva Marić, was a physicist (they met as students), but the hypothesis suggesting she had significant part in creating the theories attributed to Albert is speculation without any substantial evidence. She never claimed any credit.

She could theoretically have helped with special relativity, but their marriage became strained and they were separated at the time he developed general relativity, which is considered the greater accomplishment.

The most important evidence for the hypothesis is that Albert let her have the Nobel price money, but that was most likely not an admission of her part in creating it, but rather his way of paying for the divorce. (By the way, the Nobel price was awarded for the photoelectric effect, not the theory of relativity.)

No one knows neither Milevas or Alberts IQ. To my knowledge no IQ tests are known to exist for either. Everything you see about Einsteins IQ is "estimations", in other words pure guesswork. No doubt she was very smart, but then again Einstein was Einstein.

Source: Einstein by Walter Isaacson