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Bethsabée de Rothschild

Baroness Bethsabée de Rothschild (assumed the name Batsheva after she immigrated to Israel in 1951; 23 September 1914 – 20 April 1999) was a philanthropist, dance patron, and member of the Rothschild banking family.

Early life and education
Bethsabée de Rothschild was a great-granddaughter of James Mayer Rothschild (1792–1868) and the fourth and youngest child of Baron Édouard Alphonse de Rothschild (1868–1949) and his wife, the former Germaine Alice Halphen (1884–1975). Her father ran the French bank with his cousin Baron Robert Philippe de Rothschild (1880–1946). Bethsabée grew up at Château de Ferrières outside of Paris, and at the Talleyrand palace, in Paris itself. Her elder brother, Édouard Alphonse Émile Lionel (1906–1911), died at the age of four of appendicitis; she also had a brother, Guy and a sister, Jacqueline. She was educated at the Sorbonne in Paris and received her bachelor's degree in biology. Following the invasion of France in 1940, she fled with her family to New York City, where she studied biochemistry and biology at Columbia University, but never received an advanced degree.

Though born to a wealthy and influential family, Bethsabée was said to have detested the rich lifestyle and distanced herself from her family, with the exception of her sister Jacqueline, with whom Bethsabée appeared to have been close and her brother Guy. She was said to have been a modest and generous woman.

World War II
During World War II, she enlisted in the Free French forces and was part of the landing force for the Battle of Normandy. She moved with the army to liberate Paris, where she served as a liaison between the French and United States military forces. At war's end, she returned to New York and enrolled at the Martha Graham dance school.

Dance companies
In 1951, not long after her divorce from Bloomingdale, Rothschild traveled to Israel for the first time, settling there permanently in 1962. In Israel Rothschild made significant contributions to dance through the establishment of the Batsheva Dance Company that became one of the most influential cultural role models in Israel. In the mid-1960s, she met the South African-born classical dancer, Jeannette Ordman, who had come to Israel in 1965 from London, England; the two women were professional partners until Rothschild's death. With Rothschild's financial backing, they formed a dance school and a few years later the Bat-Dor Dance Company, with Ordman as the company's artistic director.

In addition to her cultural activities, Bethsabée de Rothschild created two foundations to advance science and technology in Israel in connection with which she was awarded the Israel Prize in 1989, for special contribution to society and to the State of Israel.

Personal life
In 1948, Bethsabée de Rothschild married Donald Bloomingdale (1913–1954), the son of Irving Bloomingdale and the grandson of Lyman G. Bloomingdale, co-founder of the Bloomingdale department store. At the time of their wedding, Bloomingdale was the attache of the Paris Embassy to the United States under Jefferson Caffery. The marriage was short-lived. It is purported that she had a child that died, though seemingly not from her marriage with Bloomingdale. Her brother Guy reports this event in his memoirs, but fails to list any vital information about the child. This birth and untimely death appears to be the only such listing in the Rothschild family tree for which no identifying information is given.

Rothschild died at her home in Tel Aviv in 1999 after a lengthy illness and was buried in Israel.

Art collection
Through a trust, she had inherited part of a major art collection assembled by her grandfather Baron Alphonse James de Rothschild. This included a 17th-century oil painting by Rembrandt and other Old Master paintings as well as Islamic and Venetian glass, decorative objects and porcelain, and Renaissance-style jewelry. Following her death, the collections were auctioned off. Rembrandt's "Portrait of a Lady" was sold by Christie's in London to the Dutch art dealer Robert Noortman for a record price of US$28.7 million. A 13th-century Mamluk jug in pristine condition sold for £3,307,750 (US$4.8 million), a world record for Islamic glass, and two mosque lamps for £1,763,750 and £641,750.

title: Bethsabée de Rothschild


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FCP

FCP or fcp may refer to:

Organisations

 * Federation of Pentecostal Churches (Italy) (Italian: Federazione delle Chiese Pentecostali)
 * Fellow of the College of Preceptors
 * Fellow of the American College of Clinical Pharmacology
 * Ferrocarril del Pacífico, a defunct Mexican railroad
 * First Calgary Petroleums, a Canadian oil and gas company

Politics

 * Family Coalition Party of British Columbia, a defunct political party in Canada
 * Family Coalition Party of Ontario, a defunct political party in Canada
 * Federation of Christian Populars, a defunct political party in Italy
 * Forward Communist Party, a defunct political party in India
 * French Communist Party, a French political party

Sport

 * 1. FC Passau, a German football club
 * FC Penzberg, a German football club
 * 1. FC Pforzheim, a German football club
 * FC Pocheon, a South Korean football club
 * FC Porto, a Portuguese football club
 * Full-court press, in basketball
 * FC Prishtina, a Kosovar football club
 * FC Paris and FC Paris (women), French football clubs

Science and technology

 * Fibre Channel Protocol, a data transfer mechanism
 * Final Cut Pro, video editing software
 * Florid cutaneous papillomatosis, a syndrome

Other uses

 * Family-centered practices
 * Federal Contractors' Program, a program of the Canadian federal government
 * First Canadian Place, a building in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
 * Fonds commun de placement, a European collective investment scheme
 * Forward commitment procurement
 * Free-choice profiling
 * Front controller pattern

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: FCP


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Juicing

Juicing is the process of extracting juice from plant tissues such as fruit or vegetables.

Overview
There are many methods of juicing, from squeezing fruit by hand to wide-scale extraction with industrial equipment. Juicing is generally the preferred method of consuming large amounts of produce quickly and is often completed with a household appliance called a juicer, which may be as simple as a cone upon which fruit is mashed or as sophisticated as a variable-speed, motor-driven device. It may also refer to the act of extracting and then drinking juice or those who extract the juice.

Juicing is different from buying juice in the supermarket because it focuses on fresh pressed fruits and vegetables. Residential juicing is often practiced for dietary reasons or as a form of alternative medicine. Becoming first popular in the early 1970s, interest in juicing has since increased. Films such as Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, Food Matters, and Hungry for Change have increased the sales of juicers.

In America, juicing was popularized by Gayelord Hauser, Jay Kordich and Norman W. Walker.

Methods
Juicing tools have been used throughout history. Manual devices include barrel-shaped presses, hand-operated grinders, and inverted cones upon which fruit is mashed and twisted. Modern juicers are powered by electric motors generating from 200 to 1000 or more watts. There are several types of electric juicers: masticating, centrifugal, and triturating juicers. These variations are defined by the means of extracting the juice.
 * Masticating (also referred to as cold pressed ) – utilizes a single gear driven by a motor; slower operation; kneads and grinds items placed in a chute
 * Centrifugal – (also referred to as high-speed juicing) – utilizes a spinning blade that resembles a grated basket; faster operation; quickly grinds items and discards pulp in a receptacle
 * Triturating – utilizes twin gears; slower operation; often has multiple uses

Health effects
The American Journal of Public Health proposed that the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 in the United States eliminate 100% fruit juices since it has been linked to childhood obesity, and substitute instead with whole fruits.

Juicing removes the fiber content of the fruit or vegetable, and the full benefits of the plant is thus not experienced. Re-adding fiber to the juice cannot be equated to whole fruits. There is a loss in non-extracted polyphenols, a class of phytonutrients, in fruit juice compared to whole plant foods. Most polyphenols are bound to the plant fibers, and constitute the major portion of dietary polyphenols. There is therefore a marked loss of phytonutrients in consuming fruits and vegetables through the juicing process alone.

The American Cancer Society says, "there is no convincing scientific evidence that extracted juices are healthier than whole foods".

Juicing may not be the best way to extract all of the nutritional value from fruits and vegetables. One study has shown that when juiced grapefruit was compared with blended, the latter was superior. Smoothies, which are the blending of fruit into juice, not the extraction, leave pulp and seeds within the drink leading to better nutrition.

title: Juicing


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Talk:Tanga, Tanzania

Hmm. Dental floss? Sounds dubious, but strangers things are true. -- Cimon 15:21, May 28, 2004 (UTC)

Neighborhoods

 * I moved the following here because it seems unsourced and somewhat incoherent; can anyone fix it up? — Matt Crypto 23:59, 28 Mar 2005 (UTC)

It is still possible, even it continue to change, to differentiate Tanga into the white area (Msungu : European), the Indian/Goan area and the black area. 1. The white area before (but still) was mostly Rascasone, it is still like this, but after international companies and organisations have escaped because Sisal was not anymore of interest, also the international employees have been reduced. Other people of African and Indian/Goan origin have taken over the houses of the white people living in Rascasone. One thing is still obvious; you still need money to live in Rascasone. The High commissioner, the head of the police force directors and all the VIP persons are living in Rascasone.

2. The Indian/Goan area stretches itself from the harbour to the railway station and as the railway as a natural boarder on one end and along tshore to the north.

3. The so-called black area is all behind the railroad stretching to the east were most the rural and poorest areas are settled. do not copy text from other websites withut a gfdl compatible license .it will be deteted. once you click the save button,your changes will be visible immediately.for testing

Marching On Tanga by Frances Brett Young
This book is a first-hand eyewitness account of some of what happened there in WW1. 89.242.103.68 (talk) 18:13, 28 February 2009 (UTC)

title: Talk:Tanga, Tanzania


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Tertiary government

Tertiary government usually refers to the lowest organizational level of government within three-layered federal systems. Typical federal systems include:
 * 1) the principal national government;
 * 2) the secondary provinces, states or departments; and,
 * 3) the tertiary municipalities, counties or townships.

This generalization glosses over "microrregional" organizations of greater cities and associations of counties or municipalities. It also does not take into account intergovernmental or supranational levels of governance, such as the European Union, the United Nations, or the World Trade Organization for example.

title: Tertiary government


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Jumpsuit

A jumpsuit is a one-piece garment with sleeves and legs and typically without integral coverings for feet, hands or head. The original jump suit is the functional one-piece garment used by parachutists.

The original skydivers' jumpsuits were simple garments designed to insulate the body from the colder temperatures associated with higher altitudes and minimize the risk of covering important handles and grips. Today, however, the garment has found other uses.

Jumpsuits are generally regarded as a garment of convenience, especially for entertainers, as they are simpler, lighter and more flexible to wear. They have become more of a "put-on-and-remove" garment than an ensemble outfit. However, unless the jumpsuit has an opening on the rear (a "drop seat"), it is necessary to remove it entirely for bathroom use.

History of the jumpsuit
A jumpsuit is a one-piece dress which fits slim and covers the arms and legs. Its history goes back to 1919. It was created as a functional garment for parachutists to jump from planes. The boiler suit and dungarees were also used for a similar purpose. Amongst the three utility wear garments (jumpsuits, boiler suits and dungarees) jumpsuits were the first one to become fashion wear. The reason was its slimmer cut. In the 1930s, fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli began designing jumpsuits for women. Her designs were the talk of the town but were worn by only a few. Then came the sporty styles by the American designer Vera Maxwell in the mid-1940s. It was popular but was a novelty item.

During the Second World War, jumpsuits were worn by women for their usefulness. In the 1950s, American designers like Bonnie Cashin started designing evening jumpsuits. But it was another decade before jumpsuits became popular as day and evening wear. The jumpsuit first appeared in Vogue in September 1964. Guy Laroche wore a brown jersey jumpsuit paired with a sealskin jacket and it was photographed by Irving Penn. It became a popular trend within a few months and two “moon shot”-style jumpsuits in white jerseys featured as Vogue patterns in January 1965. The late 1960s and 1970s were very important years for the jumpsuit. They were made as sportswear, in leather one-pieces, and also as embellished designs for evening. Jumpsuits found a place in every designer's designs. In the 1970s jumpsuit was a unisex outfit. Cher and Elvis wore stylish jumpsuits during their stage performances. Famous American designer Geoffrey Beene called the jumpsuit “the ballgown of the next century”, but it became out of fashion for the next decade. Nicolas Ghesquière tried to bring it back in 2002 by designing it in different fabrics and patterns. The updated jumpsuit again gained popularity, and thus the style was relaunched.

Pilots and drivers
Aviators and astronauts sometimes wear insulated, fire-retardant jumpsuits or flight suits where other types of clothing can potentially float or flap about in zero gravity or during high-G maneuvers.

Drivers in motor racing wear jumpsuits for protection against fire (called a fire suit) and (in the case of motorcycle racers) leather suits for abrasion.

Prisoners
Short-sleeved jumpsuits are common as a prison uniform, particularly in the United States. The clothing is a convenient way to determine who is an inmate and who is a corrections officer. Although bright orange uniforms are still in use, some institutions changed for other colors as orange jumpsuits became fashionable due to the influence of the Netflix series Orange is the New Black. Furthermore, color-coded uniforms are fairly commonly used where different colors signify the inmate's custody level or issues like gender, potential safety risks, disciplinary history, severity of current charges and past convictions. Some institutions even went back to striped uniforms to prevent escaped inmates from being mistaken for sanitation, utility or highway workers.

title: Jumpsuit


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Talk:Juicing (professional wrestling)

This sounds very risky. I very much hope that everyone involved has at the very least had hepatitis shots up-to-date, and gets regular HIV tests? -- The Anome 15:25, 28 May 2004 (UTC)

I deleted the paragraph about fruit and vegetable juice, as it definitely does not go in a wrestling related article -- Orurum 21:09, 24 June 2006 (UTC)

The comment that wrestlers don't blade often today aseems inaccurate. WWE has shown more juice in the past couple of years than I can remember in the last 25 years -- Tortilla22

"Blading is not as prevalent as certain times in history."
This sentence doesn't read well. How about "Blading is not as prevalent as it once was."? Anyway, I would tend to disagree! 138.243.228.52 15:06, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

title: Talk:Juicing (professional wrestling)


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Talk:Sigmoid function

Untitled
Call me crazy, but since when is the Hyperbolic_cosine considered "S shaped"? If this is a typo, I'm not sure what other function it was supposed to be. --65.147.0.105 15:25, 28 May 2004 (UTC)
 * Right you are, I don't know what I was thinking. Fixed. (The error function is a proper sigmoid, right?) Jorge Stolfi 10:24, 31 May 2004 (UTC)

Recent changes to this page
Isn't it better to redirect this page to the logistic function page? Or restore this page to its former glory? The current page is kinda pathetic.

local extrema?
Do you really mean "local minimum" and "local maximum"? The example function given clearly doesn't have any local minima or maxima (but it does have a global minimum of 0 and a global maximum of 1) -- Somebody

Perhaps what is meant is that the second derivative (curvature) has a local minimum and maximum? BTW, I do not agree that the function has global extrema, because as I learned them and as the article on them states, they are points in the domain of the function and are always also local extrema. This function has none. The image of the function has supremum of 1 and infimum of 0, though (ie. the asymptotes of this function are y=0 and y=1). 82.103.198.180 10:03, 23 July 2006 (UTC)

Maybe it's for complex argument values? One is led to think of reals only because the plot is 2d, but maybe the text doesn't assume that. Coffee2theorems 18:22, 23 July 2006 (UTC)

Examples
I'd like to add a gallery of sigmoid-like curves to this article. The hemoglobin example is a nice one. Any others? --HappyCamper 17:22, 30 March 2007 (UTC)

 * I am adding an example that includes "most" of the sigmoids having a closed-form equation. Hope that it is of interest and is not seen as COI. This is my very first Wikipedia edit, if I am doing something inappropriate please remove or modify. Dasomath (talk) 20:10, 15 July 2022 (UTC)

Sign
For the double sigmoid function, do you mean sin?

- I also think the double sigmoid function is wrong. What about this one?

 * $$ y = \mbox{tanh}(x-d) \, \Bigg(1-\exp\bigg(-\bigg(\frac{x-d}{s}\bigg)^2\bigg)\Bigg), $$

or this one:

 * $$ y = \mbox{tanh}(x-d) \, \Bigg(1-\exp\bigg(-\bigg(\frac{x-d}{s}\bigg)^4\bigg)\Bigg), $$

Image
I see that someone changed the image size recently in order to avoid resolution problems. Maybe the image should be replaced after all with the almost identical vector image ?--Hagman-de 15:53, 16 June 2007 (UTC)

a slightly more useful definition?
I've used the sigmoid function on and off, for a long time (about 8 years), and what I use is of course similar to what is presented here, but I would suggest adding two elements into the definition -- a "gain" or "sharpness" factor "k" or "g" -- and a "threshold" or "slider" term that allows the function to be "slid" back and forth across the X-axis:

 * Y(t) = 1/(1 + e(k*(X - thr))

The neat thing about this more expanded definition is the following:
 * The "gain" at X = "thr", is the derivative of course, but it is 1/4 the value of k (as I remember)
 * The curve can be "flipped around" by changing the sign of k; thus the sigmoid can be made to act like a Boolean NOT if "thr" is 0.5 and k is positive,
 * You see the failure of "the law of excluded middle" (LoEM) -- no matter how huge the k, the value of the function at X = "thr" = 0.5. This violates the LoEM.

 * You can build e.g. an OR gate by adding X1 and X2, subtracting "thr" = 0.5 and then squashing the sum with the sigmoid:
 * OR(X1, X2) = 1/(1 + e(-12*(X1 + X2 - 0.5)))

 * Given that you can build an OR and a NOT you now can approximate any Boolean function.

 * Similarly, in a plane, the value of Z(t) will be 0.5 all along a line (it looks like a folded plane)
 * From Y = mX + b,
 * Y/b + (m/b)*X = 0
 * Z(t) = sig(Y/b + (m/b)*X - thr)

 * Two of the above Z(t) but with reversed signs and slightly offset with different thresholds added together make a line, like a mountain range on a map, or a canyon. However, If you put three of these plateaus i.e. "folded sheets" (for a total of just 3 sigmoids) on the X-Y plane and get the signs of their k's right, add them together and pass them through a "second-layer" sigmoid you have a "triangle" that can be shrunk with higher values of k's make a single Matterhorn stick up anywhere on the plane (or make a sink-hole).

 * Given that you can make Matterhorns to your heart's content anywhere on the plane, you can add them together and approximate any curve by "bleeding" one into another. This summation proves that sigmoids can be used to approximate any arbitrary curve, much like a 2-D Fourier transform.

Some of this stuff can be found in a book titled:
 * Tom M. Mitchell, Machine Learning, WCB-McGraw-Hill, 1997, ISBN 0-07-042807-7

In particular see "Chapter 4: Artificial Neural Networks" where the Boolean abilities of "perceptrons" are defined as well. I happened onto the tricky business of adding three folded planes together to make a "triangle" (and passing them through a second-layer sigmoid) because a neural net showed me this (!). I've not seen it documented anywhere, but I did see the results of it in a journal once. I'm sure someone who knows the literature better could cite the source. Proofs similar to the above are mentioned in Mitchell. This stuff is easy to do in Excel. wvbaileyWvbailey 18:39, 17 June 2007 (UTC)

Another sigmoid?
I wonder if it would be useful to list the following function among the sigmoids: $$f(x) = 3x^2-2x^3, \quad x \in [0,1]$$ I have seen it used as a "hack" when a fast S-shaped function was needed, avoiding the (computer) evaluation of exp(x). Its derivative is flat at 0 and 1, and it is symmetrical with respect to the midpoint (meaning, $$f(1-x) = 1-f(x)$$). For many purposes it works fine, as long as you don't run outside the range [0,1]. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Pasmao (talk • contribs) 12:44, 27 October 2007 (UTC)

 * It would be interesting to add something like this. I fiddled with this notion with respect to what would be required for mother nature to build a squasher for making neuralogical ANDs and ORs, and was able to get to some pretty nice approximations -- as long as you stay within the interval. Somewhere I actually worked out the math for this ... a problem arises because, to be useful, the AND etc needs some "gain" in the middle (i.e. a slope > 1) but the more gain you put in the more difficult the design becomes. For an OR you need a range of -0.25 to +2.25 (i.e. if inputs are "a" and "b" that vary from 0 to 1, add them and squash their sum back to approximately 0 or 1). The first hack starts out with the odd function y = 1*(x-0.5) + 0.5 (just a straight line shifted to the right: yielding (0,0), (1,1) ). This clearly won't work. The trick then is to feedback a certain amount of x2 to give you some "gain", etc, etc. As I remember this works best if it goes through two iterations. I'm working from memory here... bill Wvbailey (talk) 17:18, 13 January 2008 (UTC)

This is nice! Actually you can generalize it $$f(x) = ax^b-(a-1)x^{\frac{ab}{a-1}}, \quad x \in [0,1]$$ You assure that f(0)=0, f(1)=1 and that f'(0)=f'(1)=0. By playing around with a and b you can get different shapes to suit you Juancentro (talk) 23:36, 18 April 2013 (UTC)

It is already mentioned under smoothstep example, which doesn't show an explicit formula, but a family of them. These are Hermite polynomials, and $$3x^3-2x^3$$, or equivalently more stable (and using less multiplications) $$x*x*(3-2x)$$, are usual definition of smoothstep in computer graphics (and for example a part of GLSL, and often implemented in hardware with clamping outside of the [0,1] range). Sometimes people use smootherstep, which is basically smoothstep(smoothstep(x)). 81.6.34.172 (talk) 16:36, 31 May 2020 (UTC)

Derivative Clarification
I'm pretty sure that not all sigmoid functions have the derivative:

$$\frac{dP}{dt}=P(1-P).$$

Perhaps a minor clarification would be in order. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 128.111.110.55 (talk) 02:12, 11 December 2007 (UTC)

This formula is only for $$1/(1-exp(-x))$$ tanh for example has a derivative of 1-tanh^2. This is also confusing as f(...) can be mistaken for applying function f to (...) where in this case it means the result of multiplying function f with 1-f. dP/df = (P)*(1-P) would be clearer.

Jfmiller28 (talk) 23:09, 2 January 2008 (UTC)

 * $$1/(1-exp(-x))$$ is not even the special case of the logistic function mentioned in the text. How the reader could know what function the formula applies to. This part of the text is very confusing.130.234.198.85 (talk) 14:36, 7 January 2008 (UTC)

Are some of the sections talking about the logistic?
Please see my questions in comments. New Image Uploader 929 (talk) 00:50, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

 * My text by Mitchell, which I listed on the article page (the only reference, BTW), equates the two:
 * "σ(y) = 1/(1+e-y)
 * "σ is often called the signmod function or, alternately, the logistic function. Note that its output ranges between 0 and 1 .... Because it it maps a very large input domain to a small range of outputs, it is often referred to as the squashing function of the unit [cf Figure 4.6 The sigmoid threshold unit; in this drawing, σ(y) = 1/(1+e-net), where net = Σ0i(wi*xi) and wi is the ith weight for the ith input xi and x0 is a constant -- x0 is important(!)]. The sigmoid function has the useful property that its derivative is easily expressed in terms of its output..." (Mitchell 1997:96-97)

 * My guess is writers who distinguish between the two are (needlessly) splitting the hare (hair) and using two different names for the same function depending on where it is used. "Logistic" would seem to come from "logic" i.e. having 1 and 0 outcomes only; "Sigmoid" because of its shape as in "sigmoidoscopy". Anyway, as this is wikipedia and we need sources to back up our claims, mine says they are the same thing. Bill Wvbailey (talk) 15:07, 30 May 2008 (UTC)

External link to Logistic Function implementation in Excel should be maintained
An external link that has been in this page for a good while points to a very useful implementation of the model in Excel. I've found the author moved the site so the link redirects to I tried to update and now a user MrOllie has been deleting this edit, pointing to WP:EL (policy on external links) I appreciate his point, as in many topic of opinion, blogs are not an authoritative source. As this article is about math, I can't see the difference between the resource and. Both describe in further detail the logistic curve and show someone interested how to implement it. I find the Excel version very useful and relevant, and from comments in, some other people find it useful as well. Would like to see other members opinions 218.82.217.162 (talk) 17:46, 31 October 2008 (UTC)

A sigmoid curve is produced by a mathematical function having an "S" shape —Preceding unsigned comment added by 220.225.131.157 (talk) 04:16, 12 April 2010 (UTC)

Sigmoid and sigmoidal
the following is called a "sigmoidal function" in another article:

σ$$(x)=2/(1+e^{-ax})-1$$

Is ok to create a sigmoidal function redirect to this article? Or are they different things? walk victor falktalk 02:16, 15 February 2011 (UTC)

 * Sigmoidal and sigmoid seem to me as they are the same thing; maybe there is some very slight difference but it's not pointed out by the article. --Kri (talk) 00:38, 16 February 2011 (UTC)

Sign of first derivative
Currently the section "Definition" says

 * A sigmoid function is a bounded differentiable real function that is defined for all real input values and has a positive derivative at each point.

but then in the very next sentence the section "Properties" says

 * In general, a sigmoid function is real-valued and differentiable, having either a non-negative or non-positive first derivative which is bell shaped.

So the article is inconsistent as to whether it must be upward sloping or whether it can alternatively be downward sloping, and (if downward sloping is precluded) as to whether it must have a positive or just a non-negative derivative. Duoduoduo (talk) 14:15, 2 November 2013 (UTC)

asymmetric sigmoid function
This page is missing a separation of symmetrical and asummetrical sigmoid functions, e.g. the Gompertz function is an asymmetric sigmoid http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gompertz_function but there are many others.

Olbran (talk) 10:50, 17 March 2015 (UTC)

Definition and properties not consistent
The Properties section should be consistent with the Definition section. The Definition says that the derivative must be positive. The Properties section says that it must be either non-positive or non-negative. It's unnecessary anyway to restate properties that are explicit in the definition (other properties that can be derived from the definition should be mentioned), but it's unhelpful at least to be inconsistent. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 209.93.31.116 (talk) 17:20, 29 April 2017 (UTC)

Generalized symmetrical sigmoid function
I've found this page quite useful in my work in the statistics of vaccines research, especially the illustration of the six normalized functions, but agree it needs major clean up. Separate pages would be preferable for symmetrical sigmoid functions, of which there are probably only a limited number of known algebraic examples, and asymmetrical sigmoid functions, of which there must be quite a few more. Separating out those which have non-zero first derivatives on the whole domain – $$ \pm \infty$$ – from those which do not would also be advantageous, since any function which has a zero gradient at a couple of points can be converted into a sigmoid function by appropriately segmenting the domain, e.g. the Smoothstep, so these would be better grouped elsewhere. Also, functions that simply shift or rescale other functions could be consolidated – e.g. the hyperbolic tangent and logistic. Surely there must be pages somewhere on how to shift and rescale functions for those who wish to know how to do this.

Some recent work introduced a generalized symmetrical sigmoid function

$$f(x) = \frac{x}{(1 + |x|^{k})^{1/k}}$$

where $$k$$ is a shape parameter governing how fast the curve approaches the asymptotes for a given slope at the inflection point. When $$k=1$$ the function is the 'absolute sigmoid function' shown in the illustration, and when $$k=2$$ the function is the 'square root sigmoid function'; when $$k=1.5$$ the function approximates the arctangent function, when $$k=2.9$$ it approximates the logistic function, and when $$k=3.4$$ it approximates the error function. . This should be considered for inclusion.

Finally, I promise to come back and clean up this page as soon as I've finished my research on the statistics of vaccines research :). Adunning2 (talk) 02:22, 19 July 2018 (UTC)

Website in the image
Are private websites in images allowed, like the one in this page? Is it not considered a kind of subtle advertisement? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Raffamaiden (talk • contribs) 15:47, 3 April 2019 (UTC)

"A sigmoid function" vs. "The sigmoid function"
As it stands now, the article apparently flips between talking about sigmoid functions as members of a class of functions with "S"-shaped graph in general and talking about the logistic function as a specific example. Frankly, I would just remove the section Sigmoid function as it talks about the logistic function specifically. (And is unsourced anyway.) – Tea2min (talk) 05:48, 16 June 2020 (UTC)
 * ✅, also rolling back the organizational change. Hopefully I didn't clobber anything else in the middle, apologies if so. –Deacon Vorbis (carbon • videos) 14:13, 16 June 2020 (UTC)

Problem in example
I stumbled over the second of the two algebraic functions in the example section: x^n/(x^n  + (1-x)^n). as far as I see this is not a sigmoid function. It violates the definition of a sigmoid given in the section Definition. Notably, the derivative is not non-negative and it has multiple inflection points.

So this is really confusing and I'd suggest to remove the example and would do so if nobody objects.

A Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion
The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for deletion: Participate in the deletion discussion at the. —Community Tech bot (talk) 20:25, 11 September 2021 (UTC)
 * DNC training recall task.gif

Is the "bounded" restriction generally accepted?
The article claims "A sigmoid function is a bounded, differentiable, real function [...]" whereas Logit states "The logit and probit are both sigmoid functions [...]". I don't think both of these statements can be true because logit and probit are unbounded. I noticed the reference cited for the sentence claiming the "bounded" restriction is from Lecture Notes in Computer Science in the article "From Natural to Artificial Neural Computation" so I suspect this definition is likely to be domain-specific. Should the "bounded" restriction be removed or qualified here?

Raoouul (talk) 14:12, 3 March 2022 (UTC)

title: Talk:Sigmoid function


text:
Frauen-Bundesliga

The Frauen-Bundesliga (German for Women's Federal League), currently known as the Google Pixel Frauen-Bundesliga for sponsorship reasons, is the top level of league competition for women's association football in Germany.

In the UEFA Women's Champions League, the Frauen-Bundesliga is the most successful league with a total of nine titles from four clubs.

In 1990 the German Football Association (DFB) created the German Women's Bundesliga, based on the model of the men's Bundesliga. It was first played with north and south divisions, but in 1997 the groups were merged to form a uniform league. The league currently consists of twelve teams and the seasons usually last from late summer to the end of spring with a break in the winter. Despite the league's competitiveness, it has been semi-professional. VfL Wolfsburg has won the most championships. Although the league has become more professional, women's-only teams have found it difficult to support themselves without corporate financial backing.

Competition format
The Bundesliga consists of twelve teams. At the end of a season, the club in the top spot is the champion, gaining the title of Deutscher Meister, and the clubs finishing 11th and 12th are replaced with the respective top-placed teams of the two 2. Frauen-Bundesliga divisions. A Bundesliga season consists of two rounds, with 22 games combined. In a round every club plays against each other, having a home game against a specific club in one round and an away game in the other. The seasons typically start in August or September, with the first round finishing in December. The second round typically starts in February and ends in May or June, though sometimes the first games of the second round are held in December. In World Cup years, the league might alter its schedule to accommodate the tournament.

The Bundesliga ranking is determined by points a club has gained during a season. A win is worth 3 points, a draw 1, and a loss 0. The tiebreakers are in descending order goal difference, goals for, and head-to-head results. If the tie in the league table cannot be broken, a tie-breaking game is held.

In June 2024, the DFB announced that from the 2025–26 season on, it will be played with 14 teams.

International competitions
Each season's champion as well as the second-place finisher qualifies for the next season's UEFA Women's Champions League.

Starting with the 2021–22 edition, as determined by the UEFA women's coefficient, the top three teams will qualify for the UEFA Women's Champions League.

2023/24 until 2026/27
EUR - Frauen-Bundesliga on DAZN coverage is not available in Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland,Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, and Sweden

title: Frauen-Bundesliga


text:
Talk:Animal shell

seashell growth orientation?
Classicturtle 19:22, 4 August 2007 (UTC) I have noticed that most gastropods have a "left handed" orientation. In other words, the shell opening is on the left side of the animal and as the shell gows it curls on the right side. This includes all spices I've seen. I have a small collection of shells, about 50, which range in size form 1/4 inch to about 8 inches in length. There is only 1 shell where the opening would have been on the right side of the animal if were still in it.

Can anyone tell me if the "left handed" orientation is a normal thing? And, why does this occur? I'm sure it can't be random.

==== Most of shells grow right sided watching them with the appex upside, only few are sinistrum. Also there are some species that naturally grows left handed. ====

How are they made? If covered in another article, say so. - Omegatron 15:28, May 28, 2004 (UTC)

Calcium Cumbonate? I'm no scientist, but shouldn't it be calcium carbonate?

sea shell scarring
Could someone please direct me to where I can find how some seashells are scarred (holes, lines across the shell, etc). I gathered imperfect shells to illustrate their hard life in the sea and want to have the answers for my students. Do anenomes make different marks than starfish? On the east coast--what wants to eat those little mollusks?

Thank you.

New picture
Could we add this in too? I know it has soap in it, but that is not anything we can help. Later!!! Chili14 (Talk) 22:55, 23 June 2006 (UTC)

i also
I would also like to know how shells are made. I am doing a science project on them, and i would like some information. I think they are made when the creature is first born, and they gradually harden in the case of animals like crabs, but i am not sure about the kind of shell you find on the beach. I would welcome more information.Factoids123 00:09, 22 March 2007 (UTC)

Where are shells found?
''' == Where can we find shells in our everyday lives.

Lots of my peers at work are desperate to know, besides the shell shops. ==' —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Special:Contributions/ (talk)

Merger: Multiple articles cover the same ground
At the moment we have articles on exoskeleton, animal shell, and seashell. These articles seem to focus on different things - but their definitions are very loose. Are diatom tests really "sea shells"?

We'd be a lot better off if we had just one main article over at "exoskeleton" (since all shells are exoskeletons, and by the sounds of animal shell, all exoskeletons are shells); I think that most of the existing content may be better off in pages with a well defined name, such as "arthropod exoskeleton" or "mollusc shell".

Given the current confusion in some of the articles, I'm going to get on and do this, as I'm wanting to tap out a quick overview of shell mineralogy and as it stands will have to replicate it in three places!

Martin  (Smith609 – Talk)  08:11, 16 July 2008 (UTC)

title: Talk:Animal shell


text:
Wu wei

Wu wei is an ancient Chinese concept literally meaning "inexertion", "inaction", or "effortless action". Wu wei emerged in the Spring and Autumn period. With early literary examples, as an idea, in the Classic of Poetry, it becomes an important concept in the Confucian Analects, Chinese statecraft, and Daoism. It was most commonly used to refer to an ideal form of government, including the behavior of the emperor, describing a state of personal harmony, free-flowing spontaneity and laissez-faire. It generally denotes a state of spirit or state of mind, and in Confucianism, accords with conventional morality.

Wu Wei is the main principle of Dao philosophy, which speaks of the importance of achieving the Dao or the Natural Way in all actions and development of things. Without forcing or rushing against the natural order of things to avoid false development and mistakes. The philosophy of Dao, 'Dao Jia' and the religion of Dao, 'Dao Jiao' are two different things. For example, in the philosophy of Dao, 'Dao Jia' there is no mysticism and belief in ghosts and evil spirits.

Sinologist Jean François Billeter describes wu-wei as a "state of perfect knowledge of the reality of the situation, perfect efficaciousness and the realization of a perfect economy of energy", which Edward Slingerland qualifies in practice as a "set of ('transformed') dispositions (including physical bearing)... conforming with the normative order".

The founder of Dao philosophy, Lao Zi, successfully founded his philosophical school with the manuscript 'Dao De Jing' ('Treatise on Morals'). In addition, to achieve the state of Dao, the followers were required to perform certain physical exercises. Later, during the Warring States era, professional warriors used Wu Wei as the primary guide for their training and fighting methods and created Wu Wei Martial Arts. At that harsh time, among the best ancient martial arts schools, the Wu Wei school had an undeniable reputation. The core fighting skill of Wu Wei Martial Arts is the skill of the rolling power, 'Hun Yuan Gong'. According to ancient tradition, the name of that combat system was most often known as Wuweimen, 'Gates to Wu Wei'.

Early definitions
As quoted by the sinologist Herrlee Creel, the early scholarship of Feng Youlan considered there to be a difference between philosophical and religious Daoism, with contradictory teachings. Creel took them as arising simultaneously, representing the Xian concept in Daoism as a cult of immortality and that of the more philosophical Zhuangzi.

Hence, Creel considered wu wei, as found in the Daodejing and Zhuangzi, to denote two different things.

 * 1) An "attitude of genuine non-action, motivated by a lack of desire to participate in human affairs" and
 * 2) A "technique by means of which the one who practices it may gain enhanced control of human affairs".

The first is quite in line with the contemplative Daoism of the Zhuangzi. Creel believed that "contemplative Daoism" came first, and "purposive Daoism" second.

Described as a source of serenity in Daoist thought, only rarely do Daoist texts suggest that ordinary people could gain political power through wu wei. The Zhuangzi does not seem to indicate a definitive philosophical idea, simply that the sage "does not occupy himself with the affairs of the world".

Creel believed the second interpretation to have been imported from the earlier political thought of Legalist Shen Buhai (400 BCE – c. 337 BCE) as Daoists became more interested in the exercise of power by the ruler. Called "rule by non-activity" and strongly advocated by Han Fei, during the Han dynasty until the reign of Han Wudi, rulers confined their activity "chiefly to the appointment and dismissal of his high officials", a plainly Legalist practice inherited from the Qin dynasty. This "conception of the ruler's role as a supreme arbiter, who keeps the essential power firmly in his grasp" while leaving details to ministers, has a "deep influence on the theory and practice of Chinese monarchy", and played a "crucial role in the promotion of the autocratic tradition of the Chinese polity", ensuring the ruler's power and the stability of the polity.

The Zhuangzi derives more from the later part of the Warring States period, ridiculing Confucian moralization. Only appearing three times in the second (more contemplative) half of the Zhuangzi, early Daoists may have avoided the term for its association with Legalism before ultimately co-opting its governmental sense as well. Creel regarded this as having been attempted in the Zhuangzi's  chapter. In the more "purposive" Daoism of the Daodejing, much of which was which was believed by Creel if not modern scholarship to have been written after the Zhuangzi, wu wei becomes a major "guiding principle for social and political pursuit", in which the Daoist "seeks to use his power to control and govern the world".

Confucian development
Given scant data, sinologist Roger T. Ames regards attempts to determine the origin of wu wei as amounting to strained speculation, although Ames speculates that Shen Buhai's interpretation originated in the Han state he had governance over. Few modern scholars necessarily find Creel's chronology entirely convincing. While early scholarship may have assumed an earlier dating of the Daodejing, few critical scholars believe, for instance, that Laozi was a contemporary of Confucius.

Apart from Shen Buhai, the Analects (Lun-yu) is the only preserved text to make use of the term prior to the Zhuangzi. Hence, Creel believed that an important clue to the development of wu wei existed in the Analects, in a saying attributed to Confucius, which reads: "The Master said, 'Was it not Shun who did nothing and yet ruled well? What did he do? He merely corrected his person ("made himself reverent" – Edward Slingerland) and took his proper position (facing south) as ruler'". The concept of a divine king whose "magic power" (virtue) "regulates everything in the land" (Creel) pervades early Chinese philosophy, particularly "in the early branches of Quietism that developed in the fourth century B.C."

Edward Slingerland argues wu wei in this sense has to be attained. But in the Confucian conception of virtue, virtue can only be attained by not consciously trying to attain it. The manifestation of virtue is regarded as a reward by Heaven for following its will – as a power that enables them to establish this will on earth. In this, probably more original sense, wu wei may be regarded as the "skill" of "becoming a fully realized human being", a sense which it shares with Daoism. This "skill" avoids relativity through being linked to a "normative" metaphysical order, making its spontaneity "objective". By achieving a state of wu wei (and taking his proper ritual place), Shun "unifies and orders" the entire world, and finds his place in the "cosmos". Taken as a historical fact demonstrating the viable superiority of Confucianism (or Daoism, for Daoist depictions), wu wei may be understood as a strongly "realist" spiritual-religious ideal, differing from Kantian or Cartesian realism in its Chinese emphasis on practice.

The "object" of wu wei "skill-knowledge" is the Way, which is – to an extent regardless of school – "embodying" the mind to a "normative order existing independently of the minds of the practitioners". The primary example of Confucianism – Confucius at age 7 – displays "mastery of morality" spontaneously, his inclinations being in harmony with his virtue. Confucius considers training unnecessary if one is born loving the Way, as with the disciple Yan Hui. Mencius believed that men are already good, and need only realize it not by trying, but by allowing virtue to realize itself, and coming to love the Way. Training is done to learn to spontaneously love the Way. Virtue is compared with the grain seed (being domesticated) and the flow of water. On the other hand, Xun Kuang considered it possible to attain wu wei only through a long and intensive traditional training.

Daoist development
Following its developments elsewhere, Zhuang Zhou and Laozi turn towards an unadorned "no effort". Laozi, as opposed to carved Confucian jade, advocates a return to the primordial Mother and to become like uncarved wood. He condemns doing and grasping, urging the reader to cognitively grasp oneness (still the mind), reduce desires and the size of the state, leaving human nature untouched. In practice, wu wei is aimed at through behaviour modification; cryptically referenced meditation and more purely physical breathing techniques as in the Guanzi, which includes just taking the right posture. The Guanzi itself may have been compiled even after the Han Feizi.

"When your body is not aligned, The inner power will not come. When you are not tranquil within, Your mind will not be well ordered. Align your body, assist the inner power, Then it will gradually come on its own."

Though, by still needing to make a cognitive effort, perhaps not resolving the paradox of not doing, the concentration on accomplishing wu wei through the physiological would influence later thinkers. The Daodejing became influential in intellectual circles around 250 BCE (1999: 26–27). Included in the 2nd century Guanzi, the likely older Neiye (or Inward Training) may be the oldest recovered Chinese text, describing what would become Daoist breath meditation techniques and qi circulation, with Harold D. Roth considering it to be a genuine 4th-century BCE text.

"When you enlarge your mind and let go of it, When you relax your qi; vital breath and expand it, When your body is calm and unmoving: And you can maintain the One and discard the myriad disturbances. You will see profit and not be enticed by it, You will see harm and not be frightened by it. Relaxed and unwound, yet acutely sensitive, In solitude you delight in your own person. This is called 'revolving the vital breath': Your thoughts and deeds seem heavenly."

Verse 13 describes the aspects of, attained through relaxed efforts.

"There is a numen []; naturally residing within; One moment it goes, the next it comes, And no one is able to conceive of it. If you lose it you are inevitably disordered; If you attain it you are inevitably well ordered. Diligently clean out its lodging place; And its vital essence will naturally arrive. Still your attempts to imagine and conceive of it. Relax your efforts to reflect on and control it. Be reverent and diligent And its vital essence will naturally stabilize. Grasp it and don't let go Then the eyes and ears won't overflow And the mind will have nothing else to seek. When a properly aligned mind resides within you, The myriad things will be seen in their proper perspective."

Political development

Unable to find his philosopher-king, Confucius placed his hope in virtuous ministers. Apart from the Confucian ruler's "divine essence" (ling) "ensuring the fecundity of his people" and fertility of the soil, Creel notes that he was also assisted by "five servants", who "performed the active functions of government". Xun Kuang's Xunzi, a Confucian adaptation to Qin Legalism, defines the ruler in much the same sense, saying that the ruler "need only correct his person" because the "abilities of the ruler appear in his appointment of men to office": namely, appraising virtue and causing others to perform.

Important information lay in the recovery of the fragments of administrator Shen Buhai. Shen portrays Yao as using Fa (administrative method) in the selection and evaluation of men. Though not a conclusive argument against proto-Daoist influence, Shen's Daoist terms do not show evidence of Daoist usage (Confucianism also uses terms like 'Dao', meaning the 'Way' of government), lacking any metaphysical connotation. The later Legalist book, the Han Feizi has a commentary on the Daodejing, but references Shen Buhai rather than Laozi for this usage.

Shen is credited with the dictum "The Sage ruler relies on method and does not rely on wisdom; he relies on technique, not on persuasions", and used the term wu wei to mean that the ruler, though vigilant, should not interfere with the duties of his ministers, saying "One who has the right way of government does not perform the functions of the five (aka various) officials, and yet is the master of the government".

Since the bulk of both the Daodejing and Zhuangzi appear to have been composed at a later point, Creel argued that it may therefore be assumed that Shen influenced them, much of both appearing to be counter-arguments against Legalist controls. The "Way of Heaven" chapter of the Zhuangzi seems to follow Shen Buhai down to the detail, saying "Superiors must be without action in-order to control the world; inferiors must be active in-order to be employed in the world's business..." and to paraphrase, that foundation and principle are the responsibility of the superior, superstructure and details that of the minister, but then goes on to attack Shen's administrative details as non-essential.

Elsewhere, the Zhuangzi references another Legalist, Shen Dao, as impartial and lacking selfishness, his "great way embracing all things".

Non-action by the ruler
Shen Buhai argued that if the government were organized and supervised relying on proper method (Fa), the ruler needs to do little – and must do little. Apparently paraphrasing the Analects, Shen did not consider the relationship between ruler and minister antagonistic necessarily, but still believed that the ruler's most able ministers were his greatest danger, and was convinced that it was impossible to make them loyal without techniques. Sinologist Herrlee G. Creel explains: "The ruler's subjects are so numerous, and so on alert to discover his weaknesses and get the better of him, that it is hopeless for him alone as one man to try to learn their characteristics and control them by his knowledge... the ruler must refrain from taking the initiative, and from making himself conspicuous – and therefore vulnerable – by taking any overt action."

Emphasizing the use of administrative methods (Fa) in secrecy, Shen Buhai portrays the ruler as putting up a front to hide his weaknesses and dependence on his advisers. Shen therefore advises the ruler to keep his own counsel, hide his motivations, and conceal his tracks in inaction, availing himself of an appearance of stupidity and insufficiency. Shen says:

"If the ruler's intelligence is displayed, men will prepare against it; if his lack of intelligence is displayed, they will delude him. If his wisdom is displayed, men will gloss over (their faults); if his lack of wisdom is displayed, they will hide from him. If his lack of desires is displayed, men will spy out his true desires; if his desires are displayed, they will tempt him. Therefore (the intelligent ruler) says 'I cannot know them; it is only by means of non-action that I control them.'"

Acting through Fa, the ruler conceals his intentions, likes and dislikes, skills and opinions. Not acting himself, he can avoid being manipulated. The ruler plays no active role in governmental functions. He should not use his talent even if he has it. Not using his own skills, he is better able to secure the services of capable functionaries. Creel argues that not getting involved in details allowed Shen's ruler to "truly rule", because it leaves him free to supervise the government without interfering, maintaining his perspective. Seeing and hearing independently, the ruler is able to make decisions independently, and is, Shen says, able to rule the world thereby.

"The ruler is like a mirror, reflecting light, doing nothing, and yet, beauty and ugliness present themselves; (or like) a scale establishing equilibrium, doing nothing, and yet causing lightness and heaviness to discover themselves. (Administrative) method (Fa) is complete acquiescence. (Merging his) personal (concerns) with the public (weal), he does not act. He does not act, and yet the world itself is complete."

This wu wei might be said to end up the political theory of the "Legalists", if not becoming their general term for political strategy, playing a "crucial role in the promotion of the autocratic tradition of the Chinese polity". The (qualified) non-action of the ruler ensures his power and the stability of the polity.

Non-action in statecraft
[[File:Wang Juzheng's Spinning Wheel, Close Up 2.jpg|thumb|"The Way of Listening is to be giddy as though soused. Be dumber and dumber. Let others deploy themselves, and accordingly I shall know them."

Right and wrong whirl around him like spokes on a wheel, but the sovereign does not complot. Emptiness, stillness, non-action—these are the characteristics of the Way. By checking and comparing how it accords with reality, [one ascertains] the "performance" of an enterprise.

Han Fei

Detail of The Spinning Wheel, by Chinese artist Wang Juzheng, Northern Song Dynasty (960–1279) ]]

Shen Buhai insisted that the ruler must be fully informed of the state of his realm, but couldn't afford to get caught up in details and in an ideal situation need listen to no one. Listening to his courtiers might interfere with promotions, and he does not, as Sinologist Herrlee G. Creel says, have the time to do so. The way to see and hear independently is the grouping together of particulars into categories using mechanical or operational method (Fa). On the contrary the ruler's eyes and ears will make him "deaf and blind" (unable to obtain accurate information). Seeing and hearing independently, the ruler is able to make decisions independently, and is, Shen says, able to rule the world thereby.

Despite this, Shen's method of appointment, Ming-shih, advises a particular method for listening to petitioners in the final analyses, which would be articulated as Xing-Ming by Han Fei. In the Han Dynasty secretaries of government who had charge of the records of decisions in criminal matters were called Xing-Ming, which Sima Qian (145 or 135 – 86 BC) and Liu Xiang (77–6 BC) attributed to the doctrine of Shen Buhai (400 – c. 337 BC). Liu Xiang goes as far as to define Shen Buhai's doctrine as Xing-Ming. Rather than having to look for "good" men, ming-shih or xing-ming can seek the right man for a particular post by comparing his reputation with real conduct (xing "form" or shih "reality"), though doing so implies a total organizational knowledge of the regime.

More simply though, one can allow ministers to "name" themselves through accounts of specific cost and time frame, leaving their definition to competing ministers. Claims or utterances "bind the speaker to the realization a job (Makeham)". This was the doctrine, with subtle differences, favoured by Han Fei. Favoring exactness, it combats the tendency to promise too much. The correct articulation of is considered crucial to the realization of projects.

Shen resolved hair-splitting litigation through wu wei, or not getting involved, making an official's words his own responsibility. Shen Buhai says, "The ruler controls the policy, the ministers manage affairs. To speak ten times and ten times be right, to act a hundred times and a hundred times succeed – this is the business of one who serves another as minister; it is not the way to rule." The correlation between wu wei and ming-shih likely informed the Taoist conception of the formless Tao that "gives rise to the ten thousand things."

Yin (passive mindfulness)
Adherence to the use of technique in governing requires the ruler not engage in any interference or subjective consideration. Sinologist John Makeham explains: "assessing words and deeds requires the ruler's dispassionate attention; (yin is) the skill or technique of making one's mind a tabula rasa, non-committaly taking note of all the details of a man's claims and then objectively comparing his achievements of the original claims."

A commentary to the Shiji cites a now-lost book as quoting Shen Buhai saying: "By employing (yin), 'passive mindfulness', in overseeing and keeping account of his vassals, accountability is deeply engraved." The Guanzi similarly says: "Yin is the way of non-action. Yin is neither to add to nor to detract from anything. To give something a name strictly on the basis of its form – this is the Method of yin." Yin also aimed at concealing the ruler's intentions, likes and opinions.

Shen Dao
Shen Dao espouses an impersonal administration in much the same sense as Shen Buhai, and argued for wu wei, or the non action of the ruler, along the same lines, saying "The Dao of ruler and ministers is that the ministers labour themselves with tasks while the prince has no task; the prince is relaxed and happy while the ministers bear responsibility for tasks. The ministers use all their intelligence and strength to perform his job satisfactorily, in which the ruler takes no part, but merely waits for the job to be finished. As a result, every task is taken care of. The correct way of government is thus."

Shen Dao eschews appointment by interview in favour of a mechanical distribution apportioning every person according to their achievement. Linking administrative methods or standards to the notion of impartial objectivity associated with universal interest, and reframing the language of the old ritual order to fit a universal, imperial and highly bureaucratized state, Shen cautions the ruler against relying on his own personal judgment, contrasting personal opinions with the merit of the objective standard as preventing personal judgements or opinions from being exercised. Personal opinions destroy standards, and Shen Dao's ruler therefore "does not show favoritism toward a single person".

"When an enlightened ruler establishes [gong] ('duke' or 'public interest'), [private] desires do not oppose the correct timing [of things], favoritism does not violate the law, nobility does not trump the rules, salary does not exceed [that which is due] one's position, a [single] officer does not occupy multiple offices, and a [single] craftsman does not take up multiple lines of work... [Such a ruler] neither overworked his heart-mind with knowledge nor exhausted himself with self-interest (si), but, rather, depended on laws and methods for settling matters of order and disorder, rewards and punishments for deciding on matters of right and wrong, and weights and balances for resolving issues of heavy or light...

The reason why those who apportion horses use ce-lots, and those who apportion fields use gou-lots, is not that they take ce and gou-lots to be superior to human wisdom, but that one may eliminate private interest and stop resentment by these means. Thus it is said: 'When the great lord relies on fa and does not act personally, affairs are judged in accordance with (objective) method (fa).' The benefit of fa is that each person meets his reward or punishment according to his due, and there are no further expectations of the lord. Thus resentment does not arise and superiors and inferiors are in harmony.

If the lord of men abandons method (Fa) and governs with his own person, then penalties and rewards, seizures and grants, will all emerge from the lord's mind. If this is the case, then those who receive rewards, even if these are commensurate, will ceaselessly expect more; those who receive punishment, even if these are commensurate, will endlessly expect more lenient treatment... people will be rewarded differently for the same merit and punished differently for the same fault. Resentment arises from this.'"

Han Fei
Devoting the entirety of Chapter 14, "How to Love the Ministers", to "persuading the ruler to be ruthless to his ministers", Han Fei's enlightened ruler strikes terror into his ministers by doing nothing (wu wei). The qualities of a ruler, his "mental power, moral excellence and physical prowess" are irrelevant. He discards his private reason and morality, and shows no personal feelings. What is important is his method of government. Fa (administrative standards) require no perfection on the part of the ruler.

If the Han Fei's use of wu wei was derivative of a proto-Daoism, its Dao nonetheless emphasizes autocracy ("Tao does not identify with anything but itself, the ruler does not identify with the ministers"). Accepting that Han Fei applies wu wei specifically to statecraft, professors Xing Lu argues that Han Fei still considered wu wei is still a virtue. As Han Fei says, "by virtue (De) of resting empty and reposed, he waits for the course of nature to enforce itself."

"Dao is the beginning of the myriad things, the standard of right and wrong. That being so, the intelligent ruler, by holding to the beginning, knows the source of everything, and, by keeping to the standard, knows the origin of good and evil. Therefore, by virtue of resting empty and reposed, he waits for the course of nature to enforce itself so that all names will be defined of themselves and all affairs will be settled of themselves. Empty, he knows the essence of fullness: reposed, he becomes the corrector of motion. Who utters a word creates himself a name; who has an affair creates himself a form. Compare forms and names and see if they are identical. Then the ruler will find nothing to worry about as everything is reduced to its reality...

Dao exists in invisibility; its function, in unintelligibility. Be empty and reposed and have nothing to do-Then from the dark see defects in the light. See but never be seen. Hear but never be heard. Know but never be known. If you hear any word uttered, do not change it nor move it but compare it with the deed and see if word and deed coincide with each other. Place every official with a censor. Do not let them speak to each other. Then everything will be exerted to the utmost. Cover tracks and conceal sources. Then the ministers cannot trace origins. Leave your wisdom and cease your ability. Then your subordinates cannot guess at your limitations."

The Han Feizi's commentary on the Daodejing asserts that perspectiveless knowledge – an absolute point of view – is possible.

Han dynasty
Legalism dominated the intellectual life of the Qin and early Han together with Daoism. Early Han dynasty Emperors like Emperor Jing (r. 157–141 BCE) would be steeped in a Daoistic laissez-faire. But Shen Buhai's book would be widely studied even from the beginning of the Han era. Jia Yi's (200–168 AD) Hsin-shu, undoubtedly influenced by the "Legalists", describes Shen Buhai's techniques as methods of applying the Dao, or virtue, bringing together Confucian and Daoist discourses under the imagery of the Zhuangzi. Many later texts, for instance in Huang-Lao, use similar images to describe the quiescent attitude of the ruler.

The Huang-Lao text Huainanzi (Western Han Dynasty 206 B.C. – 9 A.D.), although oriented toward state interest, would go on to include naturalist arguments in favour of rule by worthies on the basis that one needs their competence for such things as diplomacy, and defines wu wei as follows:

"'What is meant ... by wu-wei is that no personal prejudice [private or public will,] interferes with the universal Tao [the laws of things], and that no desires and obsessions lead the true course ... astray. Reason must guide action in order that power may be exercised according to the intrinsic properties and natural trends of things.'"

The Huang–Lao text Jing fa says: "The right way to understand all these (things) is to remain in a state of [vacuity,] formlessness and non-being. Only if one remains in such a state, may he thereby know that (all things) necessarily possess their forms and names as soon as they come into existence, even though they are as small as autumn down. As soon as forms and names are established, the distinction between black and white becomes manifest... there will be no way to escape from them without a trace or to hide them from regulation... [all things] will correct themselves."

Modern
Philosopher Alan Watts believed that wu wei can best be described as "not-forcing." Watts also understood wu wei as “the art of getting out of one’s own way” and offered the following illustration: “The river is not pushed from behind, nor is it pulled from ahead. It falls with gravity.”

Leo Tolstoy was deeply influenced by Daoist philosophy, and wrote his own interpretation of wu wei in his piece Non-Activity.

Psychoanalyst Robin S. Brown has examined wu wei in the context of Western psychotherapy. Brown links wu wei with the psychoanalytic notion of enactment.

title: Wu wei


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Chicago Water Tower

The Chicago Water Tower is a contributing property and landmark in the Old Chicago Water Tower District in Chicago, Illinois, United States, that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built to enclose the tall machinery of a powerful water pump in 1869, it became particularly well known when it survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, although the area around it was burnt to the ground.

Description
The tower is located at 806 Michigan Avenue along the Magnificent Mile shopping district in the Near North Side community area of Chicago, Illinois in a small park, the Jane M. Byrne Plaza. The tower was constructed to house a large water pump, intended to draw water from Lake Michigan. Built in 1869, it is the second-oldest water tower in the United States, after the Louisville Water Tower in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Chicago Water Tower now serves as a Chicago Office of Tourism as a small art gallery known as the City Gallery in the Historic Water Tower. It features the work of local photographers, artists and filmmakers.

History

The tower, built in 1869 by architect William W. Boyington from yellowing Lemont limestone, is 182.5 feet (55 m) tall. Inside was a 138-foot (42 m) high standpipe to hold water. In addition to being used for firefighting, the pressure in the pipe could be regulated to control water surges in the area. Together with the adjacent Chicago Avenue Pumping Station, it drew clean water from water cribs in Lake Michigan.

The tower gained prominence after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The tower was the only public building in the burned zone to survive, and is one of just a few of the surviving structures still standing. A few other buildings in the burned district did survive along with the tower.

Ironically, the pumping station stopped working during the fire. The roof, not made of limestone, caught fire and the pumps stopped working, stopped supplying water to fight the fire. “Many Chicagoans know that the Water Tower survived the fire. During the blaze, the roof caught fire and collapsed into the pumps, destroying them, along with any hope that there would be enough water to stop the spread of the fire. But the structure itself survived.”

In the years since the fire, the tower has become a symbol of old Chicago and of the city's recovery from the fire. In 1918, when Pine Street was widened, the plans were altered in order to give the Water Tower a featured location in the city.

The tower has undergone two renovations. The first took place during a three-year period, 1913–1916. At that time many of the limestone blocks were replaced. The second renovation occurred in 1978. This renovation consisted mostly of interior changes with only minor changes made to the exterior of the building. In 2014, the small park the tower is sited in was named for former Chicago mayor Jane Byrne.

The structure has not been universally admired. Oscar Wilde said it looked like "a castellated monstrosity with pepper boxes stuck all over it," although he did admire the arrangement and movement of the pumping machinery inside. The Water Tower's castle-like style inspired the design of some White Castle restaurant buildings. The Tower was named an American Water Landmark in 1969. In 2004 and 2017, the tower was featured in the finales of The Amazing Race 6 and The Amazing Race 29 respectively.

title: Chicago Water Tower


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Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Great Temple of Abydos

Redundant. The article is about the city, not the temple, says very little and is redundant because the city is described in Abydos, Egypt. And the style looks like a new user test.Andris 15:31, May 28, 2004 (UTC)
 * Anything there that can be merged with Abydos, Egypt? If not, delete. -- Graham  :) | Talk 16:07, 28 May 2004 (UTC)
 * Speedy delete. DJ Clayworth 16:37, 28 May 2004 (UTC)


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Pelotas

Pelotas is a Brazilian city and municipality (município), the fourth most populous in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, after Porto Alegre, Caxias do Sul and Canoas. It is located 270 km (168 mi) from Porto Alegre, the state's capital city, and 130 km (80.8 mi) from the Uruguayan border. The Lagoa dos Patos lies to the east and the São Gonçalo Channel lies to the south, separating Pelotas from the city of Rio Grande.

In the 19th century, Pelotas was Brazil's leading center for the production of dried meat (charque), a staple food made by slaves and destined to feed the slaves of sugarcane, coffee and cocoa plantations across the country.

Currently Pelotas hosts two major universities, the Federal University of Pelotas, and the Catholic University of Pelotas. Together, they account for a population of 22 thousand higher education students.

The city has three football clubs: Esporte Clube Pelotas (founded 1908), Grêmio Esportivo Brasil (also known as Brasil de Pelotas; founded 1911) and Grêmio Atlético Farroupilha (founded 1926).

History
The history of the city begins in June 1758, through a donation that Gomes Freire de Andrade, Count of Bobadela, made to Colonel Thomáz Luiz Osório, giving him land that lay on the banks of the Lagoa dos Patos. In 1763, fleeing the Spanish invasion, many inhabitants of the village Rio Grande sought refuge in the land belonging to Osório. Later, there also came refugees from Colônia do Sacramento, which had been handed over by the Portuguese to the Spanish in 1777.

In 1780, the Portuguese rancher José Pinto Martins established himself in Pelotas,with the prosperity of his establishment stimulating the creation of other ranches and growth in the region, creating a population that would define the early city.

The Civil Parish of São Francisco de Paula, founded on 7 June 1812, by Father Pedro Pereira de Mesquita, was elevated to the category of town on 7 April 1832. Three years later, in 1835, the town was declared a city, bearing the name Pelotas.

In southern Brazil, 'pelota' can refer to a leather raft, and the name of the city comes from the boats made of cockspur coral tree covered with animal skins, used to cross rivers in ranching times.

In the first years of the 20th century, progress was stimulated by the Banco Pelotense (Bank of Pelotas), founded in 1906 by local investors. Its liquidation, in 1931, was devastating to the local economy.

In 1990, the Urban Conurbation of Pelotas was created as a result of a state law. In 2001, it became the Urban Conurbation of Pelotas and Rio Grande, and in 2002 the Urban Conurbation of the South. The goal is to integrate the participating towns and is the embryo of a future metropolitan region including the towns os Arroio do Padre, Capão do Leão, Pelotas, Rio Grande and São José do Norte, which have a total population of around 600,000 inhabitants.

Topography
As it is situated on a plain near the ocean, the urban area lies on a low elevation, being, on average, 7 meters (23 ft) above sea level. The interior of the municipality is on a plateau called Serras de Sudeste (Southeastern Mountain Ranges). Consequently, the altitude in Pelotas' rural area reaches 429 meters (1,407.4 ft) in the Quilombo district.

The city stretches to the Laranjal, a bairro on the coast of the Lagoa dos Patos. Beyond the coastal regions Santo Antônio and Valverde, the area also has an even more remote area, the Balneário dos Prazeres (popularly known as Barro Duro, lit. "hard mud"), and Colônia Z-3, a fishing village that primarily explores the art of shrimping.

Climate
The climate is humid subtropical (Köppen: Cfa), a type found in Southeastern Australia (very homogeneous to Sydney, in terms of temperatures, albeit cloudier and wetter), without major temperature deviations as found in Brunswick and Savannah, Georgia (USA), and in Shanghai, China (but still considered very high by Brazilian standards), due to the continentality and polar vortex position in those southern cities of the United States and the Chinese city. Summers are warm to hot with regular rainfall. Winters are cool with episodic frosts (about 24 per year) and fog, with no noticeable difference in the amount of monthly rainfall.

The hottest month is January, with an average temperature of 23 °C (73.4 °F), and the coldest month is July, with an average temperature of 12 °C (53.6 °F). The wettest month is February, with 145 mm (5.7 in) of precipitation. The average annual temperature in the city is 17.5 °C (63.5 °F) and the average annual precipitation is 1,379 mm (54.29 in), with rain regularly falling all year long. The relative humidity is very high (with an annual average around 80%).

An interesting meteorological occurrence was the first snowfall, which occurred on 8 July 1994 in Pelotas from 11:00 am to 1:30 pm. Before this date, there had never been any record of snow in the city. The phenomenon was weaker in the urban parts of the city, and did not cover the ground. However, the snowfall was more intense further inland, in districts such as Cascata and Quilombo, and was able to cover the vegetation in a white blanket. Snow grains were recorded in Pelotas on 4 September 2006, on 5 September 2008, and on 3 August 2010, and graupel was registered on 12 July 2012, and on 25 September 2012. On 5 July 2019, the downtown area of the city registered, for 40 minutes, snow flurries with liquid drizzle, just before noon (with no accumulation). On 28 July 2021, Pelotas registered snow flurries with sleet.

On 19 July 1934 and 27 July 1935, the city recorded a temperature of -5 °C (23 °F), the lowest recorded in Pelotas. The highest recorded temperature in Pelotas was 42 °C (107.6 °F), on January 1, 1943.

Vegetation
The larger part of rural Pelotas is made up of grasslands, with low and herbaceous vegetation (pampa). Small groves of cultivated trees (Babylon willow, eucalyptus, pine, cypress, acacia, poplar and platanus) and native trees (Cockspur coral tree and araucaria angustifolia) are also found. Pelotas is 55 km (34 mi) from the Atlantic Ocean, and possesses a beach along the Lagoa dos Patos, called Laranjal. In the vicinity of the beach one can find quagmires and sand dunes.

Hydrography
Pelotas is part of the watershed of the Camaquã River. The streams Quilombo and Caneleiras drain the city. They meet to form the Arroio de Pelotas, which flows into the São Gonçalo Channel.

Places of interest
The Public Library of Pelotas was founded in 1875, and constructed with materials brought over from Europe. Pelotas has two theatres, the Sete de Abril and the Guarani Theatre. The Sete de Abril, which was constructed in 1831, is one of the most traditional theatres in Brazil. The city boasts four major museums: the Carlos Ritter Museum of Natural History, the Leopoldo Gotuzzo Museum of Art, the "Candy Museum", and the Museum of the Baroness.

Events
One major attraction is the Fenadoce, a display of sweets prepared from traditional 18th century Portuguese recipes. More than 300,000 people come to the annual event, which began in 1986. Formerly held in different locations each year, today it is always celebrated in the Centro Internacional de Cultura e Eventos (International Center of Culture and Events).

Ethnicities
The first immigrants to the region were the Portuguese, coming mostly from the Azores, something which profoundly influenced the culture of the city, especially in its architecture and cuisine.

Another important immigration was that of the Germans (the majority from Pomerania — see Pomeranians), even though they preferred to settle in rural areas, unlike the Portuguese, who settled in the city itself. Also worthy to mention are other ethnicities that settled in Pelotas, such as Africans (descendants of slaves, mainly from Angola), Italians, Poles, French, Jews, Lebanese Arabs, etc. The number of descendants from indigenous peoples, despite being unknown, is probably very small.

Before the arrival of the first European settlers, the area of the southern part of Rio Grande do Sul, including the municipality of Pelotas, was occupied by Amerindian groups. According to archaeological evidence discovered there, the groups were: Minuane, Charrua and Guaraní.

In the 2022 census there were 247,257 whites, 38,691 blacks, 39,107 of mixed ethnicities, 363 native Brazilians and 264 Asians.

Religion
In regards to religion, the majority of inhabitants (about 50%) are Roman Catholic, followed by Protestant religions (especially among the people of German origin), such as Evangelical Lutheran and Anglican sects. In recent times there has also been a growing number of Jehovah's Witnesses and Latter-day Saints. Other noteworthy religions include Spiritism and Afro-Brazilian ritualism (such as Umbanda and Candomblé).

Economy
The economy of Pelotas is mostly agricultural and commercial. The latter is largely represented by Arabs, mostly Lebanese (erroneously referred to as turcos, or Turks), and a few other foreigners.

The region is the largest producer of peaches for the country's storehouse industry, along with other products such as asparagus, cucumber, fig and strawberries. The city also is a great producer of rice and cattle products. Pelotas produces more milk than anywhere else in the state.

Pelotas has industries tied to agriculture, textile, leather tanning and bread-making. Reforestation for the production of paper and cellulose has been a rising economic activity in the whole region.

The city is a large commercial center in the region, attracting shoppers to its sidewalk and neighborhood galleries and shops.

The rural area, also called the "colony", due to the fact that German immigrants built isolated farming communities there, is characterized by the production of fruit, rice, and livestock.

In times past the production of charque, or dried beef, was economically important. The work was usually done by slaves. The charqueadas, as the livestock ranches were called, are still popular tourist attractions, the most famous being the Charqueada Santa Rita and the Charqueada São João.

Transportation
Pelotas International Airport, which was originally built in 1930, serves 130,000 passengers annually with two runways. It is located in the neighborhood of Três Vendas.

The city also has a bus system, a port on the shores of the São Gonçalo Channel, and the junction of two major highways (BR-116 and BR-392) nearby.

Architecture
The city was strongly influence by Portuguese aesthetics, visible in its large houses with Portuguese ceramics on the façade. Pelotas is very rich in architectural treasures and monuments.

One example of the many monuments in the city is a fountain called, As Três Meninas, which came from France in 1873, and was placed in the center of the city.

The largest monument in Pelotas is the iron Caixa d'água, which is located in the Piratinino de Almeida Square, and is the only one of its kind in all of Latin America. It was constructed in 1875, and still holds the daily surplus of water in the city. It sits atop 45 columns, and all of its pieces are made of iron. It has forms that are reminiscent of Asian architecture, though all of the materials used in construction were imported from France.

The architecture of the city is distinguished by its churches, the Grand Hotel and the Public Market.

The construction of the Public Market was initiated in 1847 and finished in 1853, although between 1911 and 1914 there was a renovation. Its design was fashioned after the Neoclassical style, and was affected by Art Nouveau after 1970 when the building was destroyed by a fire and rebuilt. On it there is a clock tower and an iron lighthouse, imported from Hamburg, Germany, an allusion to the Eiffel Tower.

The Great Hotel was inaugurated in 1928. The building has four floors, presented in the Art Nouveau style. Today the building is closed and belongs to the city government.

The Church of the Redeemer, also known as the "Shaggy Church", is the headquarters of the Brazilian Episcopalian Church of the Anglican Communion, and became known for its characteristic vegetal covering. It opened its doors in 1892. Its tower is 27 meters tall, and its stained-glass windows are from New York City.

The São Francisco de Paula Metropolitan Cathedral is considered the city's and the region most important religious edifice, due to its size, beauty and the works of art found within its interior. Its construction began in 1813. The cathedral shelters the image of Saint Francis of Paola, by an unknown artist, which was brought from Colônia do Sacramento.

The painter Aldo Locatelli, came from Italy especially to make the frescoes on the ceiling and walls of the cathedral, at the invitation of Dom Antônio Záttera, bishop of Pelotas at the time. Although Locatelli would choose to stay in Rio Grande do Sul and make many other important works in Brazil, including paintings and murals, this is considered his greatest work, together with the passion at the Church of São Pelegrino in Caxias do Sul.

Also deserving attention is the Museum of the Baroness, which was constructed in the 19th century, occupying an area of approximately 7 hectares, possessing 22 parts and an interior patio. Lining it all were many cultivated and varied gardens.

In Pelotas there are still nine sculptures of Antônio Caringi, considered the best gaúcho sculptor. Among them are: Oferenda, 1942, in bronze, located in the Ecumenical Cemetery São Francisco de Paula; Monumento ao Colono, 1958, in bronze and granite, in the Primeiro de Maio Square; Monumento ao Bispo Dom Joaquim Ferreira de Mello, 1942, in bronze and granite, on the Avenue Dom Joaquim; Sentinela Farroupilha, 1935, in bronze, 20 de Setembro Square; As Três Idades do Trabalho, in granite, Coronel Pedro Osório Square; Dr. Luiz Pereira Lima, 1958, in bronze, Piratinino de Almeida Square; Monumento ao Coronel Pedro Osório, 1954, in bronze and granite, Coronel Pedro Osório Square; Monumento à Mãe, 1968, in bronze and granite, Coronel Pedro Osório Square; Monumento ao Dr. José Brusque 1968, in bronze and granite, Coronel Pedro Osório Square.

Notable people

 * João Simões Lopes Neto (1865–1916), writer
 * Hipólito da Costa, the founder of the printing press in Brazil
 * Zola Amaro (1891–1944), lyrical singer
 * Kleiton & Kledir, singers and composers
 * Vitor Ramil, singer and composer
 * Glória Menezes, actress
 * Taison, football player
 * Emerson Ferreira da Rosa, football player
 * Daniel Carvalho, football player
 * Michel Bastos, football player

Twin towns – sister cities
Pelotas is twinned with:
 * 🇧🇷 Aracati, Brazil (2005)
 * Aveiro, Portugal (1996)
 * 🇺🇾 Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay (2005)
 * 🇯🇵 Suzu, Japan (1963)

Subdivisions
There are five neighborhoods (bairros) in Pelotas and nine districts:

Bairros

 * Areal
 * Centro
 * Fragata
 * Laranjal
 * Três Vendas

Districts

 * 1st District- Sede
 * 2nd District- Colônia Z3
 * 3rd District- Cerrito Alegre
 * 4th District- Triunfo
 * 5th District- Cascata
 * 6th District- Santa Silvana
 * 7th District- Quilombo
 * 8th District- Rincão da Cruz
 * 9th District- Monte Bonito

title: Pelotas