Existence of atoms - Einstein or Smoluchowski When Einstein's seminal work on Brownian motion is discussed, Smoluchowski's name often comes up as having derived more or less the same results as Einstein, but from the perspective of kinetic theory. However, when we talk about the existence of atoms (or at the very least, supporting theories of their existence) one exclusively refers to Einstein's work. Is this because Smoluchowski's work is not in the same line of thinking, or simply because Einstein wound up with more of a reputation? I am in fact unable to find an English copy of 1906 Smoluchowski paper.
 A: It seems that Smoluchowski did not publish his thoughts before Einstein:

Although it has not yet been possible for me to carry out an experimental test of the consequences of this approach, which I originally intended to do, I have decided to publish those considerations now, especially since my method seems to me to be more direct, simpler and therefore perhaps also more convincing than Einstein's.


Obwohl es mir bisher nicht möglich war, eine experimentelle Prüfung der Konsequenzen dieser Anschauungsweise vorzunehmen, was ich ursprünglich zu tun beabsichtigte, habe ich mich entschlossen, jene Überlegungen nunmehr zu veröffentlichen,  insbesondere da mir meine Methode direkter, einfacher und darum vielleicht auch überzeugender zu sein scheint als jene Einsteins.

The previous publication was in 1903 here:

The previous experimental work (M. v. Smoluchowski, Bull. Acad. Crac. p.182, 1903) on Brownian motions ...

A: Einstein was first but also much more popular. Smoluchowski's work appeared one year later, give or take, which I suppose is not a long time considering the speed of information flow in 1900. His result also was off by a little with respect to Einstein's and, in my opinion, while more elegant from a physical point of view also a bit more cumbersome.
But I would argue that Einstein's preminence is mostly due to general popularity.
His 1905 work on Brownian motion is part of his Annus mirabilis series which contributed to making him the "model" of a genius we now consider him to be.
Also, Einstein's theory was initially proved wrong by initial experiments by Svedberg, meaning that no clear solution of the problem was reached before 1908-1909, so Smoluchowski's theory also had been long around.
An even brighter example that this has to do with popularity rather than novelty is that another often forgotten name is that of Jean Perrin who won the 1926 Nobel prize for his experimental realization of Einstein's theory in 1909.
Both he and Smoluchowski, today mostly unknown if not by specialists, are victims of Einstein's popularity. But they were praised during their times! Smoluchowski and Perrin (and others) are now often credited too, but people mostly remember Einstein.
