The translation and explanation on a letter from Max Born to Peng Huan-Wu

In his recollections, Max Born highly acclaimed Peng Huan-Wu, who was his first Chinese student. He said that after Peng left England in 1947 for China, he never received a letter from him until 1960. In fact, Peng did send an important letter in 1950, in which he invited Born to China, and also expressed that he wished to buy all the books in Born’s private library. It is regrettable that this letter was never found in Born’s archives. But Born’s reply was indeed found, and is translated in full in this paper. Several issues related to the letter are discussed here, including why Born never came to China in all his life. Finally, the author shows three rare pictures of Max Born together with Peng and others in Edinburgh in the 1940s.