Wilhelm Weinberg - Hardy-Weinberg Principle

Hardy-Weinberg Principle

Weinberg developed the principle of genetic equilibrium independently of British mathematician G.H. Hardy. He delivered an exposition of his ideas in a lecture on January 13, 1908, before the Verein für vaterländische Naturkunde in Württemberg (Society for the Natural History of the Fatherland in Württemberg), about six months before Hardy's paper was published in English. His lecture was printed later that year in the society's yearbook.

Weinberg's contributions were unrecognized in the English speaking world for more than 35 years. Curt Stern, a German scientist who immigrated to the United States before World War II, pointed out in a brief paper in Science that Weinberg's exposition was both earlier and more comprehensive than Hardy's. Before 1943, the concepts in genetic equilibrium that are known today as the Hardy-Weinberg principle had been known as "Hardy's law" or "Hardy's formula" in English language texts.

James F. Crow writes: “Why was Weinberg’s paper, published the same year as Hardy’s, neglected for 35 years? The reason, I am sure, is that he wrote in German. At the time, genetics was largely dominated by English speakers and, sadly, work in other languages was often ignored.”