text:
Talk:Financial economics

Should this article be merged with Finance?
The topic of this page appears to duplicate the topic "finance". Should the two articles be merged? If not, why not? What is in Financial Economics that would not also be part of Finance? Please see the JEL classification here. There is no separate code for "finance" and the "financial economics" category appears to include everything in this article. SPECIFICO talk 17:50, 13 July 2022 (UTC)

 * I agree 100%. Especially that this is based on JEL codes rather than innuendos and weird ambiguous citations. Thesmeagol2 (talk) 13:13, 14 July 2022 (UTC)

 * SPECIFICO, this is what I was arguing above. Theoretical Finance is financial economics. Limit-theorem (talk) 18:14, 14 July 2022 (UTC)

 * this discussion seems basically the same as the above thread. Protonk (talk) 18:52, 14 July 2022 (UTC)
 * Not at all. I am proposing that we merge the articles because the distinction is false and OR and not reflected in the American Economic Association categorization of subjects. SPECIFICO talk 19:04, 14 July 2022 (UTC)
 * Hi all. At the same time, the NSF classification (latest) has finance completely separated from (financial) economics: "Finance" is under "Business management and administration" while "Economics" is one of the "Social sciences" (and financial economics is presumably subsumed under "Other economicsj"). Fintor (talk) 11:09, 8 August 2022 (UTC)
 * In other words, "finance" is a recognized subject. "Financial economics" is not recognized as a distinct field. SPECIFICO talk 15:01, 8 August 2022 (UTC)
 * What I take from this, is that "Finance" and "Financial economics" should continue as separate articles. Finance as a field of economics (JEL) is different from finance as an activity (NSF) (here is one of my favorite pieces on this). Please let's poll all relevant WikiProjects before this merge. Thanks. Fintor (talk) 15:28, 8 August 2022 (UTC)
 * I think the point is that there is no such field as "financial economics" That's why it is not listed in the NSF classification you cited. As you have said, Finance is practical and much of it is normative -- Its engineering. Indeed "Financial engineering" is taught in the engineering schools at some top universities,  in addition to being part of the business school curriculum. Economics is the social science that studies the effects of peoples' interactons. We do not have articles called Physics bridgebuilding or Chemistry detergents. SPECIFICO talk 15:36, 8 August 2022 (UTC)
 * But it is a JEL field; and numerous universities offer both as separate degrees. I'm just saying, please open this up to a very broad poll before merging. Fintor (talk) 15:43, 8 August 2022 (UTC)
 * If you're saying you would oppose the merge, please present your case here. That would be very helpful. The content of this page is exclusively about Finance in the sense you and I have discussed -- normative, prescriptive analysis as to how one should manage a portfolio of assets. There is nothing about monetary economics, banking institutions, the function and regulation of auctions and securities markets, etc. -- in short, this page has nothing that could be called "financial economcis". Just Finance. We've already discussed the titles of majors/degree tracks a bit above. SPECIFICO talk 15:59, 8 August 2022 (UTC)
 * Oppose. If this article needs expanding then do so; but retain both articles. Finance and Financial Economics exist in parallel; and, whereas Finance is very broad, Financial Economics is very narrow. Finance is a practical, daily, "real life" everyday activity (and problem) for most adults and all businesses. Financial economics is a body of theory (often informing the practice) with its own JEL codes, journals and degrees. I've worked in both, they're not the same thing (I've never met a personal finance advisor, financial manager, or stockbroker who's even heard of state prices - let alone stochastic dominance). Fintor (talk)
 * There's no content in either page that relates stockbrokers, insurance and annuity salesmen and the like to Finance or Financial economics. Nor would any RS be found that relates them. These both need to be evaluated in terms of their respective peer-reviewed literature and not OR or the claimed authority and employment related experience of editors who may have thought of themselves as financiers or whatnots. SPECIFICO talk 16:54, 8 August 2022 (UTC)
 * Look, nobody is trying to Essjay you. This is now the second editor on this talk page whose contribution you've seen fit to denigrate as stemming from private information. We are just trying to have a conversation, where necessarily inputs that come from experience, interest and inference have a place. We should, frankly, ask YOU what your evidentiary basis for this merger is aside from your interpretation of JEL codes. Alternatively, we could all accept that we are seeking a consensus on page content and therefore act a little bit more collaboratively. Protonk (talk) 19:20, 8 August 2022 (UTC)
 * What is a SJ? I hope you'll review my contributions on the article and talk page. I've clearly stated the problem. SPECIFICO talk 20:08, 8 August 2022 (UTC)
 * Essjay controversy
 * Not clear the relevance of that. But what you've said is backwards. Various editors have claimed to be teachers or practitioners and therefore knowledgeable about the subject beyond what they are willing to articulate or for which they can provide references. Such claims are pointless. SPECIFICO talk 20:28, 8 August 2022 (UTC)
 * I also oppose this merger for the reasons Fintor notes above. Furthermore I echo their call to "open this up to a very broad poll before merging" as this is a subject which needs more eyes on it before it is subsumed into a very broad topic. Protonk (talk) 16:28, 8 August 2022 (UTC)

Preparing to request merge
I've begun attempting to clean up some of the worst unencyclopedic, unverified, and unintelligible content on the page. Once it is in straightforward, well-cited shape, I expect to propose a merge of this page with Finance, which is indistinguishible from the content and sourcing of this page.<b style="color: #0011FF;"> SPECIFICO</b> talk 15:49, 5 August 2022 (UTC)

some history
Hi gents. You might be interested here that the finance article historically lead as follows:
 * "Finance is the application of the principles of financial economics to an inter-related set of monetary problems."

This was then changed (see Talk:Finance); the consensus was that "finance" is not just a branch of economics / academia but rather and mainly a "real life" everyday activity (and problem) for most adults. I'm leaning towards the latter view (see also above re the NSF). Fintor (talk) 09:07, 8 August 2022 (UTC)

title: Talk:Financial economics


text:
Flamer

Flamer could refer to:
 * Flamer (novel), a 2020 graphic novel by Mike Curato
 * Flame (malware)
 * Faggot (slang)
 * Flaming (Internet)
 * flamethrower

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

title: Flamer


text:
Talk:Thompson groups

conjecture
Trying to trace the source of the statement about the Von Neumann conjecture.

Charles Matthews 06:33, 18 May 2004 (UTC)

Err - which statement? If you mean the statement that the conjecture has been disproved then I presume you've now found one as you've added details to the Von Neumann conjecture page. The statement that F, if proven not to be amenable, would be another counterexample, follows immediately from the fact that it doesn't contain a rank 2 free subgroup. The latter is well-known, but I can probably hunt out a reference if you think it needs one..... Best wishes, Cambyses 16:51, 18 May 2004 (UTC)

Yes, I later found a web reference to a f.p. counterexample. But maybe (I'm less clear) this wasn't the first counterexample to the vN conjecture. It seems there may have been some counterexample a fair few years ago.

Charles Matthews 17:19, 18 May 2004 (UTC)

We don't know
Please note that J. Moore no longer claims that F is amenable: http://arxiv.org/abs/1209.2063 "Over the weekend of September 29-30, 2012, Azer Akhmedov pointed out a serious error in Lemma 4.13. This error appears to be both serious and irreparable. I therefore withdraw my claim of a proof that F is amenable". T.K. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2.100.216.103 (talk) 20:02, 2 January 2013 (UTC)

Explicit definition of these groups?
I'm a nonexpert in this area, but do the presentations and representations here suffice as a definition? It's a little unclear exactly what these groups are/how they're defined. Perhaps a definition section is fitting before the presentations section? Youarelovedfool (talk) 23:16, 8 May 2024 (UTC)

 * Defining a group by a presentation is perfectly valid ; i added a link to the page on presentations of groups to make it more intelligible. The definitions via the action on the interval or circle are also perfectly fine (they may be detailed a bit more in the article). For these groups these definitions are likely to be as good as you can get since they are not representable by matrices. jraimbau (talk) 07:16, 9 May 2024 (UTC)
 * Cool, just checking. Thanks
 * Youarelovedfool (talk) 00:30, 17 May 2024 (UTC)

title: Talk:Thompson groups


text:
Joseph Jordan

Joseph or Joe Jordan may refer to:
 * Joseph Jordan (Royal Navy officer), English naval officer
 * Joe Jordan (born 1951), Scottish international football player and coach
 * Joe Jordan (politician) (born 1958), Canadian politician
 * Joe Jordan (musician) (1882–1971), ragtime and jazz musician
 * Amos Jordan (1922–2018), often known by the nickname "Joe" Jordan, United States Army general
 * Joseph A. Jordan Jr. (1924–1991), civil rights activist, lawyer and judge
 * Joseph Jordania (born 1954), Australian-Georgian ethnomusicologist and evolutionary musicologist
 * Joseph Jordan (doctor) (1787–1873), English medical doctor
 * Joseph M. Jordan (1922–2014), American law enforcement officer
 * Joe Jordan (hurler) (born 1987), Irish hurler

title: Joseph Jordan


text:
Nodwick

Nodwick is a comic strip created by Aaron Williams, based around the conventions of fantasy role-playing games, in particular Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). It debuted in Dragon magazine issue No. 246 (April 1998), first with short strips, and later receiving a second strip in Dungeon magazine, making fun of one of the adventures published in each issue. In Dragon No. 270 (April 2000), Nodwick was expanded to a two-page spread and replaced Knights of the Dinner Table as a full-page comic that served as a parody of D&D adventuring. It later became a single page strip, related to the issue's theme; later, the strip was removed from Dungeon, but still appeared in Dragon, now unrelated to the main theme of the issue, until Dragon ceased print publication late in 2007.

The titular character, Nodwick, is a henchman (as opposed to a hireling) in the employ of a typical D&D-style adventuring party. Nodwick is published in Dragon magazine and on Nodwick.com, along with a "sibling" comic, Full Frontal Nerdity. Nodwick and the adventurers he works with were given statistics for the 2nd edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) rules as part of the Giants in the Earth article in Dragon No. 270. A Nodwick card game is also available.

A bi-monthly comic book was published by the author, which ran for 36 issues before its cancellation. The strip has since become a back-up strip in Nodwick's more popular sister title PS238, although collections of the comic book are available as trade paperbacks.

A "reinvented" version of Nodwick and his adventuring group have also appeared in a City of Heroes based comic strip as the superhero team "Q-4orce."

Main characters
Nodwick
 * A short henchman, Nodwick has served the adventurers for many years. As the artist's style evolved, Nodwick grew shorter and his nose grew larger; this was actually commented upon in the comics themselves, with Artax trying to understand how it happened and Nodwick suggesting his nose grew to create balance for the oft-ridiculous weights he is forced to carry (generally orders of magnitude greater than his own weight). As most of the other henchmen in the strip look very similar to Nodwick, this seems to be a relatively common phenomenon. Artax and Yeagar frequently use Nodwick to set off traps, or to distract or bait monsters. Nodwick has died numerous times, but each time Piffany manages to revive him with her duct tape of healing, usually wrapping him from head to toe to put him back together (On one occasion, Nodwick was reduced to a pile of ashes, so the group poured his ashes into a "Hench Mold" with the words "Just add water" written on it; about the only time she hasn't used the duct tape); so Yeagar and Artax usually don't worry about tossing him into gruesome traps, feeding him to dragons, etc., if it will advance their quests. At least one comic has mentioned that he has also been cloned several dozen times by Artax when Piffany was unavailable. Nodwick isn't as knowledgeable as Artax or as wise as Piffany, but he possesses the most common sense in the group, and is the most likely to protest their hare-brained schemes..  Over the course of his travails, Nodwick has developed a dry sense of humor and a jaded wit, and lost whatever fear of death he ever held. According to the 2nd edition character sheet for Nodwick, if he ever encounters a deity, there is a 20% chance that the deity in question recognizes him from his all-too frequent trips to the hereafter. Still, he prefers to avoid dying if he can. (The trade paperbacks include a "Rest Index Peace" at the end of each volume, listing all the ways Nodwick has died up to that volume, this Index doesn't include Nodwick's deaths from Dragon and Dungeon Magazines, nor from the online comic)..  In Dragon #270's Giants in the Earth article, Nodwick is stated as being a level 21 Henchman, with eighteen ranks in each of the Nonweapon Proficiences Schlepping, Toting, Hauling, and Lifting with Knees. He also counts as having 15 ranks in the Religion Nonweapon Proficiency, due to his frequent deaths. His Nonweapon Proficiences are what allows Nodwick to carry such ridiculously large amounts of junk, and only apply to things designated "loot". In all other situations, Nodwick's Strength statistic is given as a mere eight. In this article, Nodwick is stated as being of Lawful Good alignment, which is why he attempts to merely find a loophole in his contract in order to escape rather than simply absconding while unattended or even murdering his employers in their sleep. It is noted that there is a base 5% chance that Nodwick may be carrying any item from the Player's Handbook, with this chance increasing by +2% for every cubic foot of junk Nodwick is hauling.

Yeagar
 * Buff fighter with muscles between his ears. It is often Yeagar who drags the party off on life-threatening looting runs. Yeagar's exploits frequently involve consuming large quantities of "Skull-whomper ale" and making a fool of himself and his companions. Yeager is portrayed as a proficient warrior who is nevertheless overly eager and impetuous, lacking in brainpower, and all too willing to use Nodwick as monster-bait; in one notable episode, his companions realized that Yeagar had been replaced with a doppelganger when he opted to throw a rock at a switch across a lava bed instead of throwing Nodwick at it. Noted for his chainmail body stocking and very large spiked shoulder pauldrons.. In Dragon #270's Giants in the Earth article, Yeager is described as a level 8 Chaotic Good Fighter with the special defence of a 50% resistance to attempts at reasoning. He has 12 skill ranks in Scheme, 15 in Simple Solutions For Complex Problems, and 11 in Running. Pioneer of the various abuses of henchman, he treats his Intelligence as being 18 when attempting to figure out reasons to use a henchman for something like stopping a portcullis from closing. Yeager's armor is described as being +3 chainmail, and his sword is a +1 longsword- at least, in his hands. Yeager's sword is actually a Reaper of Evil +5, +10 vs. Evil Creatures. As well as its potent magical effects, it is a sentient weapon with an Intelligence and an Ego of 18 that provides its wielder with the ability to turn undead three times per day as though they were a level 15 cleric, the power to cure disease with a touch and the ability to directly contact their patron god once per year. However, the horrific experiences it suffered shortly after coming into Yeager's possession (being used to kill a skunk, scrape dragon dung off Yeager's boots and cut a path through a field of bile weeds, then fatally impaling a saintly monk after trying to leap from Yeager's possession) have left it mentally scarred and locked in a catatonic state. The only method able to cure it will be removal from Yeagar's possession and several years of therapy.

Artax
 * Tall, skinny wizard with a pointy green hat and an extremely long moustache. Long on intelligence, short on wisdom, and Yeagar's best friend. Artax is ostensibly the leader of the outfit, directing their efforts, but just as often Yeagar and Piffany just do as they please. Artax is not as impetuous as Yeagar and more inclined to question the advisability of his friend's scheme, but usually caves in and goes along with whatever Yeagar has in mind. Like Yeagar, he frequently uses Nodwick to set off traps, lure monsters out of their lairs, et cetera. When at home, Artax frequently uses Nodwick as a laboratory assistant (or guinea pig). In Dragon #270's Giants in the Earth article, Artax is stated as having come from a long line of magicians. A few of his ancestors became quite famous and/or powerful, but the majority of them were lucky enough to breed before killing themselves in some spectacular magical accident. A level 7 Generalist Wizard of Neutral Good alignment, Artax has Nonweapon Proficiency ranks in Spellcraft (16), Henchcraft (18), Ancient Languages (18), Reading/Writing (19) and Forgery (15). Artax's elongated mustache is said to be infested with so many food particles that it can be ingested with all the nutritional value of a single iron ration, while his pointy hat has the powers of a +4 Ring of Protection. He is noted to have a special defence; a 30% resistance to pleas of mercy.  According to his background in this article, Artax originally adventured with a different group of adventurers- consummate professionals who were truly interested in doing good. This put them at odds with Artax, who is self-obsessed and power hungry. Yeager and Artax met when Artax's previous party was interviewing potential replacements for a slain member, a footman implicitly murdered by Artax (he was struck by lightning, while only Artax was around, in the middle of a sunny day); Artax's previous party rejected Yeagar, and that made Artax decide he was the perfect partner.

Piffany
 * Small, bespectacled cleric of good. Unfailingly honest, Piffany is also unwilling to seriously harm any living thing; the closest she comes is whacking things over the head with her staff while screaming "NAUGHTY! NAUGHTY! NAUGHTY!" She spends a lot of time putting Nodwick back together with her "duct tape of healing" and is probably the closest thing he has to a friend among the party. Although she possesses a great deal of wisdom and is the purest soul in the universe, Piffany isn't quite the brightest bulb in the box and is commonly manipulated by her companions. Piffany is the only member of the party who treats Nodwick with any kind of dignity, but Artax and Yeagar often take advantage of her natural gullibility to use Nodwick to trigger traps "for the greater good." When she isn't patching Nodwick together or scolding Yeagar and Artax for their general naughtiness, Piffany spends her time proselytizing in the name of niceness and baking the universe's best cookies – the recipe of which was used to settle a dispute among the gods once. Despite their differences with the young cleric, Artax and Yeagar are actually quite protective of Piffany and would never let any harm come to her.  In Dragon #270's Giants in the Earth article, Piffany is described as being a Lawful Good Cleric of 8th level. Her outfit functions as +3 leather armor and her staff is described as being a Staff of Harmony. This makes it an enchanted item that can be wielded in combat as a +3 mace, with the added feature that it warns the wielder of any evil alignment creature of at least five Hit Dice that has come within 30 feet of them. It can be used three times each day to cast the Command spell, and can also be 'charged' with up to three clerical spells for cases of emergency.

Other characters

 * Count Repugsive: A recurring villain, similar in stature to Yeagar, wearing a skull-faced helmet. Described as an "anti-paladin." Repugsive is not a very effective villain; his schemes are often incomplete or downright silly, such as creating zombie hordes to move into cities, thus lowering property values so he can take over by buying at cheap prices. Should Repugsive die, he has the power to re-form in about a week, as was discovered after he exploded upon fighting a paladin (they canceled each other out). Recently, Count Repugsive was fitted with the Gauntlet of Supremacy, wiping his mind and channeling the spirit of the dead swordsman Utharr, Yeagar's evil counterpart; however, he was only "out of service" for a while, and eventually contested possession of their shared body, at least until Utharr and the Gauntlet were removed, permanently. It was also recently discovered that Repugsive is in fact a woman, and not a man as we had all been led to believe over the comic strip's history. She claims that she allowed the charade to continue because "evil gals are only taken seriously if they're hot", which she apparently wasn't even before her death. In the same story arc, he/she also admits to being the inventor of "healing strips", better known as Piffany's duct tape.
 * Claret Copin: A bard Nodwick's run into a few times. She writes epic ballads about the group's heroic exploits, such as feeding Nodwick to hydras, sundering ancient seals with his head, and so on, which tend to make the four even bigger laughingstocks than they were before.
 * Bezzler: An elf or half-elf thief who worked with the group before they hired Nodwick; they disposed of him when it came out that he was stealing from them. Bezzler came back seeking re-employment, but Nodwick managed to catch him stealing again, and so he parted ways with them once more – after stealing the clothes off Nodwick's back.
 * Frigg: A kobold encountered by the group on a couple of occasions. Nodwick met Frigg while scouting ahead in a dungeon and struck up a conversation, but when he returned to the party with Frigg in tow, Nodwick's companions attacked the kobold. However, when they learned that Frigg was an economics major who could increase the value of their loot, they welcomed him with open arms. They ran into Frigg once more after that, when the kobold came to complain about Yeagar trashing his accounting firm.
 * The Brotherhood of Evil Henchmen: A cabal of unsavory hirelings who desire to recruit Nodwick so they can learn from his "skills in the art of object transportation" (i.e., schlepping vast quantities of loot), in addition to their own talent of finding even the most strange, rare and unusual things for the use of their masters. The Brotherhood is "a band of humans, humanoids, and other mostly ill-spirited races, bound to serve those who strive to bring chaos and wickedness into the world." All of the Brotherhood's members have the same short, big-headed stature as Nodwick, although they lack the big nose all good/neutral henchmen develop. They are led by Theobor, a mysterious robed figure with glowing yellow eyes (actually, Baphuma'al in disguise). Theobor's chief lackey is Beobor, a dim-witted hunchback.
 * Henchmen's Local 246: The henchmen's union, it is run by a (figurehead super-powered female) hamster that enables the adventurer's guild to deprive henchmen of their rights. One of several recurring staff members is Heathwick, a clerk of sorts. The Henchmen's Union also underwent an April Fool's Day ordeal every year at the hands of the wizard's and adventurer's guilds until the pranks got out of hand, unleashing a scourge upon an anti-prank parade and carnival Piffany's sisterhood was holding in front of the Henchmen's Union Hall. Piffany and her sisters then marched to city hall demanding action, with a resulting declaration of all April Fool's Day festivities being capital offenses.
 * Baphuma'al: A dark god of foul magic, he appears every so often to give a glimpse of his multiversal plan to envelop the world in darkness. He was trapped in Nodwick's world for centuries after a wizard accidentally used a magical pillow on Baphuma'al's face at the stroke of midnight, summoning a tooth fairy who stole two of the deity's teeth, giving him a lisp. Upon regaining his teeth he returned to his home plane. When Nodwick was hurled into a parallel universe by the Cleft of the Cosmos, it was to a world dominated by Baphuma'al.
 * Rowen: An attractive and intelligent woman with whom Yeagar is in love (he believes secretly, although it is obvious to all). Rowen and Yeagar were childhood friends and there are unanswered questions about some parts of her history. It has also been hinted at that Rowen might be less noble than Yeagar's idealized image of her is (as indicated by an incident with an illegal dragon mount).
 * Orville: Rowen's riding dragon. Too dumb to defend his mistress in times of danger unless verbally alerted, and has a tendency to gobble up everything he finds edible, including Nodwick.

There's also an evil group who closely resembles the party, however, this group doesn't employ a henchman, except for their first appearance, when they tried to loot the Henchmen Cemetery. The group was defeated by the party in two separate occasions before they turned to worshipping Baphuma'al, and their power has been raised by the evil god.
 * Utharr: Evil fighter and worshipper of Baphuma'al, he was lured to his death by Nodwick (who slapped a steak on his back and suggested that he examine a well that contained a tentacled, Lovecraftian monster), later revived by Elonan, and killed again in an avalanche. Currently, he inhabits Count Repugsive's body, controlling his undead army. One of the few persons who have elicited a fearful reaction from Yeagar "The accessories on their warrior! My spiked shoulder plates are no match for his blade-festooned finery!"
 * Elonan: An evil female cleric, Elonan's evil career as a worshipper of Uthok ended when Piffany covered her armor with smileys; however, after losing her deity's favor, she started again as a cleric of Baphuma'al. According to Piffany, Elonan "Smells like the lead electric mandolinist for `Crossbows and Roses`".
 * Ildomir: An evil elderly wizard. After Piffany destroyed his book of black magic, Baphuma'al gave him a new, even more sinister one. During their first encounter, Artax was quite impressed with his "permanent pyrotechnic effects", meaning glowing eyes with an energy release.

The party has also run into various characters from classic D&D adventures and novels, such as Raistlin Majere from Dragonlance, Elminster from the Forgotten Realms, and Count Strahd von Zarovich from Ravenloft, as well as the game's creators, Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. They've also encountered characters who appear to be from other sources as well (a pageful of cameos including Xena and Harry Potter in one issue, Death from The Sandman appearing in another, Spider-Man being chased by an amorous Lolth in a comic strip in Dragon Magazine, etc.).

References to the comic

 * "The Armory", a weapons supplement for Rolemaster Fantasy Role Playing system, contains a "Nodwick attack table," showing damage resulting from henchman throwing in the same format as normal weapon damage in that system.
 * The background artwork for the Monsters chapter of Book of Vile Darkness contains two bone creatures preparing to ambush a party of adventurers that resemble the principal cast of Nodwick.
 * In The Gamers: Dorkness Rising, a henchman named Nodwick, whose clothing and stature match the character, appears near the end of the film, performed by Steve Wolbrecht. In the final issue of the Nodwick comic series, Williams acknowledges Dead Gentlemen Productions for "giving Nodwick his film debut (and entry in the Internet Data Base)" in the film.

title: Nodwick


text:
Talk:Five Points, Manhattan

Quote
At Five Points' height only certain areas of London's East End vied with it in sheer population density, disease, infant and child mortality, unemployment, violent crime and other classic ills of the destitute. Of course one may not mention any of the places east of Suez that outclassed both London and New York in these categories. I suppose we don't hold those cultures to Western standards. Wetman 06:35, 18 May 2004 (UTC)

 * That's not what's going on here. It's surprising but true-- no urban area, west or east of Suez, came close to Five Points and the East End for these conditions in the mid 1800s. The key statistic is population density. The worst slums of Cairo, Calcutta and Beijing were far greater in land area than the Points, but density in the Points was much higher, thanks mostly to the invention of the Tenement. It was four and five stories of misery compared to one or two. Yes, it's a bit deceiving if you're comparing entire cities with each other. But if you are talking about individual slums (as the article is), it's just a matter of fact that the Points and the East End (particularly Whitechapel/Bethnal Green) embodied a concentrated poverty not previously seen, anywhere. JDG 04:55, 19 May 2004 (UTC)

"Racial" integration
As "race" is a cultural phenomenon, it does not make much sense to speak universally of the history of racial integration. One might as well say that the Roman assimilation of the Etrurians fits in the "history of racial integration". As to the "aloofness" of Spanish conquerors, that is certainly arguable, but it cannot be disputed that the great majority of them took native wives, certainly well before the mid-19th century, so even in the context of "modern Western racial integration in the Americas" the Five Points was not unique or pioneering. The only way the Five Points could be said to be historically distinctive in terms of racial integration is in the context of the history of the United States.--Pharos 22:16, 6 Apr 2005 (UTC)

 * Well, I disagree on these and many other points. But I'll sit tight and live with your change until I can get my ducks in a row. In the meantime, plz step back and look at the question in the round. Something unprecedented *did* take place vis a vis black folk and the Irish in Five Points. Our challenge is to characterize it correctly. If you're one of those who really swallows the current academic fad that considers notions of "race" to be 100% "socially constructed", it's going to be difficult. We're not talking about Latins and Etruscans or somesuch involving mere ethnic or tribal differences. We're talking Black and White, genetic lines with very objectively different allelic signatures, mixing it up on a sustained scale (one of the big draws for fashionable slummers from upscale Manhattan neighborhoods was to take in the 'miscegenation' going on in the Points... plz understand I do not call it "miscegenation", just using the word then used)... Five Points *was* unique and pioneering. I'm afraid you're collapsing some of the dates involved. Twenty or so years down the line you can find some of the same thing in other NYC enclaves, Boston, Jersey City, Philly and even Chicago and Cincy. But circa 1830 it was the Points and the Points alone... Plz watch this page and see you soon, most likely. JDG 23:35, 6 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Pharos, I've been considering how to change the sentence we discussed above but I can't come up with a good way to approach it (that is, a way that would not be reverted by you), given your extreme position on "race". You really believe "race" is purely a "cultural phenomenon"? There are no quantifiable biological group differences which would make the sexual activity between these previously physically separate groups an occurrence of note? JDG 07:53, 11 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Well, the first thing that I'm saying is that the mixing of white and blacks or different races did not start in the Five Points; in other words that the Five Points was not some epochal event in the biological history of the human species. By any standard, persons who would today mark "white" or "black" on the U.S. Census have mixed throughout history, including having children with one another. It is fair to say that the social situation in the Five Points as regards race was a harbinger of an important development in American history.--Pharos 08:42, 11 Apr 2005 (UTC)

 * I must descend to a trite analogy, I'm afraid. Let's say it's the year 2020. A new public works project in New Jersey is about to result in the first ever confluence of the Passaic and Hackensack rivers. A new canal will result in their waters flowing together for about 200 meters. A local reporter submits an article he's written on the project to his editor, containing the sentence "And so, the Hackensack and the Passaic, after ages, will mingle.". The editor says, "Touching sentence, rookie, but it so happens I myself mingled the Hackensack and the Passaic twelve years ago on a lark. I filled a beer bottle with Passaic water, drove four minutes to the Hackensack and poured it in. Why? Just because I could. Now scratch that sentence."

 * Is the editor being a tad literal? If you study Five Points in the context of world population movement you'll see the Points was indeed the first place anywhere on the planet in which a sizable, sustained "as peers" milieu between "whites" and "blacks" came to be. I lack the time now to fetch references for you, but I assure you it is the case. These are the sorts of facts that make history come alive. "[P]ersons who would today mark "white" or "black" on the U.S. Census have mixed throughout history", you say. One can well imagine other stray individuals splashing together small, isolated quantities of the Passaic and the Hackensack in the story above prior to 2020. But the sentence you rewrote was talking about sizable and sustained integration. For this, the Points was first ever, anywhere. JDG 09:16, 11 Apr 2005 (UTC)
 * It should probably be noted that there were tensions among many of these groups such as between Irish and Italian (as well as Jewish immigrants) within the Five Points which was not at all limited to Irish and African Americans. 152.163.100.204 07:10, 23 May 2005 (UTC)

slum clearance
The editor of this page says that most of the Five Points was subject to slum clearance in the 1880s. I cannot disagree more with this. The Five Points was renovated in the late 1940s in accordance with the New Deal Act. In the late 1800s, the Five Points was still the worst slum. Irish crime was replaced by Jewish crime in the early 1900s. The Five Points didn't get cleaned up until 1947. Sandy June 00:33, 21 July 2006 (UTC) Why was the Five Points subjected to slum clearance and not the Lower East Side as well? It does not make much sense. Sandy June 04:43, 28 July 2006 (UTC)
 * No, that was in the Lower East Side– a neighboring area, sure, but not the same place.--Pharos 13:08, 21 July 2006 (UTC)
 * The Five Points, as it more properly refers to the specific intersection of Anthony Street (modern Worth Street) with Orange (Baxter) and Park streets, was a smaller neighborhood than the vast area that the label of the "Lower East Side" of Manhattan applied to. Therefore, it was easier to clear out the Five Points neighborhood than the entirety of the Lower East Side.  In addition, the Five Points neighborhood was closer to City Hall, the Tombs prison, and the later Foley Square park than the Lower East Side, with the Five Points being roughly between City Hall and the prison.  This meant that, geographically, when the buildings of "Government Center" were built along Centre Street, around Foley Square and between City Hall and the prison, the Five Points neighborhood was simply in the way of the new government buildings.  Lastly, although the Lower East Side was more well known for its vibrant immigrant life by the 1880s, the Five Points was already known for decades by then to be the city's most notoriously crime-ridden neighborhood.  As the center of immigrant neighborhood shifted over to the Lower East Side and crime fell in the immediate Five Points neighborhood, by the 1940s, it was politically expedient and relatively easy to erase memory of the Five Points from the map, and divide the area between the growing Government Center neighborhood to the west, and Chinatown neighborhood to the east. 128.235.249.80 04:58, 21 September 2006 (UTC)
 * I applaud you 128.235.249.80. This is exactly right. In fact, in 1947 there was no area actually called "Five Points". It was considered long gone. In the 1890s there was still the adjacent (in some places overlapping with the old Points) slum called "Mulberry Bend". That too was cleared out long before the 1940s, so Sandy June above must be referring to certain clearance initiatives aimed at *parts* of the Lower East Side. JDG 19:31, 25 October 2006 (UTC)

 * What was known as "Five Points" was essentially defined by Ward District 6, as shown in this 1852 NY Ward 6 map: http://www.bklyn-genealogy-info.com/Ward/1852NYCwardmap/6.25.jpg ~Eric F. 184.76.225.106 (talk) 09:08, 25 February 2012 (UTC)

Park Street?
Is it the best to use the term Park Street in this article? The street is neither signed Park St. today, nor was signed it when Anthony St. was cut through to the intersection to create the actual Five Points intersection back in 1817. In that year, Anthony St. was extended to the intersection of Orange and what was known as Cross Street to create an intersection with five corners; in the 1830s, Anthony Street was extended further, past the intersection, to Chatham Square, leaving the intersection to become, actually, a six-cornered intersection by the era that the movie "Gangs of New York" is set. Only later was Anthony renamed Worth, Orange into Baxter, and Cross into Park Street. By the time of the 1930s/40s, with the WPA projects that created Government Center, were Baxter and Park streets closed south of Worth Street; in addition, with the sometime refurbishment of Columbus Park (the result of the 1880s slum clearance project), Park Street was closed between Baxter and Mulberry, resulting in the current intersection of Baxter and Worth. This T-shaped intersection of Baxter and Worth is what remains of the Five Points intersection today. In that time, too, the name of Park Street had changed; now the street is signed Mosco Street, and runs only the one block between Mott and Mulberry Street (alongside the RC Church of the Transfiguration in modern-day Chinatown). Therefore, since "Park Street" was neither the name of the street when the "Five Points" originated (then being known as Cross Street), nor the name of the street now (being currently signed Mosco Street), is it really proper to call it Park Street in this article? 128.235.249.80 04:58, 21 September 2006 (UTC)

Besides, using the name Park Street in the article can easily lead to confusion to the nearby Park Row that comes off Chatham Square, two blocks east of the current-day intersection of Baxter and Worth; Park Street can also be confused for Park Avenue elsehwere in Manhattan, whose name and location have no relation to Park Street or the Five Points. (Park Ave. was renamed from Third Ave. for its wide median, left when the railroad tracks leading to Grand Central Terminal were buried underground from the original location at ground level.) 128.235.249.80 05:05, 21 September 2006 (UTC)
 * I invite you to change the names according to your sources. I wrote the paragraphs you're referring to but I'm afraid I no longer have access to the source material I used at the time. The street names are quite tricky. What was true in 1840 would not be true in 1848, etc.,., etc,. If you want to be super accurate with street names you'll need to track changes and demolitions through time... It would also be good to mention the important role of "Paradise Square" (which formed one of the corners). It too was demolished some years before the general razing of the Points, so there was a period of Four Points, so to speak (this was also after the extension of Anthony St. was demolished, so, strictly speaking, the intersection went from 5 Points to 6 Points to 5 Points to 4 Points). JDG 20:05, 25 October 2006 (UTC)

"Grassroots Racial Integration"
This particular line leads the reader to believe that this was an organized effort. Grassroots, while technically defined as "basic or fundamental" (per Merriam Webster) also conjures up the idea of an organized group of people advocating a cause, independent of political or wealthy backers as part of today's vernacular and really, that is what is has come to mean - far from it's basic and fundamental form.

Irish and African immigrants and slaves living in close quarter in the Five Points area of NYC in the 18th and 19th centuries has nothing to do with "grassroots" racial integration. Segregation, racial hatred and crimes against freed Africans were common even within the neighborhood and there was certainly no common cause movement to uphold racial integration as the way of the future. How quickly you forget the Civil War Draft Riots!

How many sources would you like cited to demonstrate that this small article seems to overlook the truth behind The Five Points district/neighborhood and whitewashes it in a sort of bizarre, almost revisionist paint?

Some info
Maybe someone who knows more about the subject matter can decide if this warrants a place in the article or not. Basically, Tom Waits refers to the Five Points amongst other things in his song Never Let Go, from the album Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards. It is the reason I got to this article, so maybe it deserves a place. Regards, Alan16 (talk) 19:25, 4 August 2009 (UTC).

I suggest a new section: 'In Popular Culture', and moving 'Gangs of New York' as a subsection. Note: that section already contains a reference to 'The Sting' (movie), which doesn't properly belong there. This would allow a place for the above (and any other) reference.184.76.225.106 (talk) 18:25, 24 February 2012 (UTC)

Infectious diseases
First of all, this section header is hidden by the Dickens table, I'm going to see if that can be fixed.

I'm removing a quoted definition of cholera from this section; there's no need for in-line encyclopedia quotes on a wiki when we've a good page on the disease already. I am also removing the following quote, since it is not specifically about Five Points and is attributed to a newspaper that turns up no results on Google or Wikipedia:

""Drunkards and filthy, wicked people of all descriptions, are swept away in heaps, as if the Holy God could no longer bear their wickedness, just as we sweep away a mass of filth when it has become so corrupt that we cannot bear it.... The cholera is not caused by intemperance and filth, in themselves, but it is a scourge, a rod in the hand of God....""

If these edits meet with your disapproval, feel free to revert. --AgonRex (talk) 04:30, 1 December 2011 (UTC)

 * I had no trouble finding that reference here: http://caho-test.cc.columbia.edu/ps/10052.html
 * Relating to:
 * Primary source: “Daily Tally of Cholera Victims,” 1832.
 * Background information: Due to overcrowding and poor sanitation, the Five Points slum suffered numerous casualties during outbreaks of disease, as this daily report taken during the 1832 cholera epidemic makes clear.

http://caho-test.cc.columbia.edu/dbq/11003.html 184.76.225.106

If further information is desired: (from same link, above)

Primary source: “E. M.,” editorial, 1849.

Background information: As far away as New Hampshire, editorials denounced the New York cholera epidemic of 1832 as divine retribution for decadence and sin.

 * "If cholera had no other mission than this, to sanction the practice of temperance and cleanliness, and to denounce the penalties against artificial and undenied appetites, and putrescent inhalations, it is yet an angel of mercy to the world, if mankind will suffer themselves to be instructed by it."

"E. M.," editorial, Morning Star (Dover, N.H.), 24, (15 August 1849): 69, in Charles E. Rosenberg, The Cholera Years: The United States in 1832, 1849, and 1866 (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987), 130 n. 19.

These quotations provide some insight into the mores of the time; and might be of interest -- sorry, I feel squeamish about editing the main page (help yourself?) ~Eric F. 184.76.225.106 (talk) 19:48, 24 February 2012 (UTC)

Original inhabitants
Perhaps there should be something like "also collectively known as Delaware Indians" included in the section where the Munsee/Lanape are mentioned. Most people reading this are probably more familiar with that designation. ~Eric F. 184.76.225.106 (talk) 22:17, 24 February 2012 (UTC)

Five Points Gang
Perhaps there should be a mention of this, with a Main article link to WP page.

They were founded by Paul Kelly and included such notorious notables as Charles "Lucky" Luciano, and Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone.

~Eric F. 184.76.225.106 (talk) 08:25, 25 February 2012 (UTC)

 * A brief Five Points Gang sub-section under 'History' should be added, but adding new sub-sections is currently beyond my confidence level as an editor ~Eric F 184.76.225.106 (talk) 16:10, 2 April 2012 (UTC)
 * Suggest summation similar to:
 * Five Points Gang was founded by Paul Kelly and included such notorious gangsters as Charles "Lucky" Luciano, and Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone. It became one of the most significant street gangs in United States history, and their reputation for brutality included battles with rival gangs which often resulting in death.

 * But where to put it? Also, the Capone mugshot from the gallery should be added to this section.
 * ~Eric F 184.76.225.106 (talk) 16:10, 2 April 2012 (UTC)

Picture for Lenape
I think the article should use a different picture for the Lenape, early inhabitants of Five Points. The current picture is of a "Lenape Dancer," which looks to be someone, presumably a Lenape wearing a mask and a costume. As a picture that is supposed to give someone with no idea who or what a Lenape is, this one is very confusing.

There are four pictures of Lenape in the article on the Lenape. Any one of those pictures would give the reader a better idea than the current picture. Ileanadu (talk) 01:36, 22 August 2013 (UTC)

 * Hello I exchanged the picture. Best regards.--Maxim Pouska (talk) 01:23, 6 March 2016 (UTC)

Wikipedia should not tolerate discriminatory content by Charles Dickens
Hello, the phrases by Charles Dickens about the Language of the people at the Five Points I read as a discrimination against this men and women. His words are: "Many of these pigs live here. Do they ever wonder why their masters walk upright in lieu of going on all-fours? and why they talk instead of grunting?”

OK I understand that the Dickens as an english man did not speak or well understood Irish language, Gaelic or Irish Gaelic, also not some other language by immigrants. I would like to delete this phrase soon. Beside it is not relevant for the Five Points. Best regards.--Maxim Pouska (talk) 15:36, 6 March 2016 (UTC)

 * Hello, Charles Dickens did know the French language as educated English man at this time. See his book A Tale of Two Cities. But Dickens did not understand the Irish language well. Just normal. I delete the phrases now in some days after I waited 3 months.--Maxim Pouska (talk) 16:24, 27 June 2016 (UTC)

 * The lines should be restored. Dickens' impression is included in this article for historical perspective on "polite" attitudes toward the Five Points. No-one claimed his reportage was objective or factually accurate. His "American Notes" are a famously a screed against the United States, and that is their main value to historians today. This passage was added here to give readers a colourful, well-written, unequivocal critique of this unsavoury old New York neighbourhood, and it has been significantly emasculated by the presumptive "editing" of a classic work of literature. Laodah 04:11, 12 January 2017 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified one external link on Five Points, Manhattan. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20110824073143/http://www.urbanography.com:80/5_points/5p2.html to http://www.urbanography.com/5_points/5p2.html

When you have finished reviewing my changes, you may follow the instructions on the template below to fix any issues with the URLs.

Cheers.— InternetArchiveBot  (Report bug) 09:55, 1 January 2017 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified 2 external links on Five Points, Manhattan. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20110606222422/http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/documents/documents_p2.cfm?doc=231 to http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/documents/documents_p2.cfm?doc=231
 * Corrected formatting/usage for http://www.urbanography.com/5_points/5p2.html

When you have finished reviewing my changes, you may follow the instructions on the template below to fix any issues with the URLs.

Cheers.— InternetArchiveBot  (Report bug) 21:28, 1 October 2017 (UTC)

A Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for speedy deletion
The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page or its Wikidata item has been nominated for speedy deletion: You can see the reason for deletion at the file description page linked above. —Community Tech bot (talk) 01:52, 17 May 2020 (UTC)
 * 1851-map-Five Points-NYC.jpg

Park Street→Mosco Street
Original citation is working now. Thank you. Vzeebjtf (talk) 18:39, 25 January 2023 (UTC)

Why a "former" neighborhood?
And isn't Chinatown (along with most of the other supposed "neighborhoods" of Manhattan Island recognized today) more a collection of neighborhoods? 2603:6011:A600:46:28C3:8837:BF53:3308 (talk) 14:47, 7 August 2023 (UTC)

title: Talk:Five Points, Manhattan


text:
Holon Institute of Technology

Holon Institute of Technology (HIT) is an Israeli independent public college primarily offering undergrad education. It also has a Master's degree progrram and does research in the fields of science, applied mathematics, engineering, digital medical technologies, instructional technologies, industrial engineering/technology management and design.

It is funded by Israel's Council for Higher Education.

History
The college began in 1969 as the Center for Technological Education Holon

In 2002 it was recognized by the Council for Higher Education as an independent academic institution of higher education called the Holon Academic Institute of Technology (HAIT), and in 2006, it was rebranded as HIT - Holon Institute of Technology.

In December 2011, HIT was granted authorization to confer the rank of Associate Professor in five different disciplines, on the condition that there were at least five professors in the specific field of the candidate for professorship.

In 2018, the New York Institute of Technology and Holon Institute of Technology partnered via a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on students and faculty initiatives in a variety of areas.

Faculties and departments

 * Faculty of Electrical & Electronic Engineering – HIT's first Faculty, established in 2001: B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees (both with and without a thesis)
 * Faculty of Industrial Engineering & Technology Management – Established in 2004, training students to lead projects and organizational processes in the hi-tech industry; offering B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees (without thesis)
 * Faculty of Design – Established in 2007, offering B.Design in Industrial Design, Interior Design, and Visual Communication Design + M.Design degree in Design for Technological Environments.
 * Faculty of Instructional Technologies – Established in 2007, training students to develop digital learning solutions; offering B.A. & M.A. degrees (without thesis).
 * Faculty of Science – Established in 2006, offering B.Sc. in Applied Mathematics, B.Sc. and M.Sc. (with/without a thesis) in Computer Science, Physics providing courses for other Faculties.
 * Department of Digital Medical Technologies – Established in 2020 in response to the growing need for digital medicine; training students to bridge the gap between the worlds of medicine and technology; offering a BSc program qualifying graduates to become medical data analysts in industry or apply to four-year MD programs at medical schools.
 * Department of Data Science – Established in 2022 in response to the growing demand for professionals in this cutting-edge discipline; offering M.Sc. degrees in three specializations: Data Science for Health Systems and Medical Technologies, Intelligent Systems, Business, and Industrial Intelligence.
 * School (formerly Department) of Multidisciplinary Studies – Established in 2021 in response to the growing need for tech professionals with a multidisciplinary approach and intellectual breadth, enabling students from different Faculties to acquire new ideas and ways of thinking, beyond those encountered in their specific disciplines; offering multidisciplinary courses in four areas: Humanities and Social Sciences, Integrated Technologies, Community Engagement, Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Undergraduate programs
HIT offers eight undergraduate programs:
 * B.Sc. in Electrical & Electronics Engineering – Training electrical engineers, electronics engineers and communications engineers for R&D in academia and industry. Graduates are qualified to register in Israel's Engineers Registry.
 * B.Sc. in Computer Science – With a focus on understanding, planning, and developing computational processes and optimal information delivery, while acquiring critical skills for research and self-study, and preparing for the changing technological job market.
 * B.Design in Industrial Design – In the first year students acquire foundations in art history, architecture, the theory of design, etc. In subsequent years they specialize in both the theoretical and practical aspects of the discipline, opening paths to various fields of expertise.
 * B.Design in Interior Design – The challenging curriculum is constantly updated to keep up with technological innovations, social changes and market needs. Knowledge is further enriched through workshops, day conferences, guest lectures, competitions, exhibitions, and special events.
 * B.Design in Visual Communication Design – Providing tools for screen design and interactive design in response to current market needs, emphasizing the connection between design and the relevant technological platforms.
 * B.Sc. in Applied Mathematics – Exposing students to a range of real-world problems in collaboration with industry organizations, with an emphasis on practical training; providing hands-on experience in many different applications: mathematical models, signal and image processing, computer vision, algorithmic trading, geographic information systems (GIS), data mining, computer simulation, and more.
 * B.Sc. in Industrial Engineering & Technology Management – Training students for managerial positions in technological organizations and projects.
 * B.A. in Instructional Technologies – Covering a range of relevant topics: learning and using information in the digital age; challenges of instruction in organizations; virtual learning environments. Students learn how to develop, design, and produce interactive instructional materials, graphic user interfaces (GUI), and new applications for mobiles and desktop computers.
 * B.Sc. in Digital Medical Technologies – Training Medical AI experts to bridge the gaps between the worlds of medicine and technology; also serving as a pre-med track for students who wish to go on to a four-year MD program.

Master's programs
HIT offers six programs for master's degrees (with or without a thesis):
 * M.Sc. in Computer Science
 * M.Sc. in Electrical & Electronics Engineering
 * M.Sc. in Technology Management
 * M.A. in Instructional Technologies
 * M.Sc. in Data Science
 * M.Design in Design for Technological Environments

The campus
The HIT campus covers an area of about 12 acres at the center of the city of Holon and includes eight buildings (23,000 square meters). Future development plans include the construction of additional buildings, up to a total floor area of 90,000 square meters.

title: Holon Institute of Technology


text:
Noncommutative topology

In mathematics, noncommutative topology is a term used for the relationship between topological and C*-algebraic concepts. The term has its origins in the Gelfand–Naimark theorem, which implies the duality of the category of locally compact Hausdorff spaces and the category of commutative C*-algebras. Noncommutative topology is related to analytic noncommutative geometry.

Examples
The premise behind noncommutative topology is that a noncommutative C*-algebra can be treated like the algebra of complex-valued continuous functions on a 'noncommutative space' which does not exist classically. Several topological properties can be formulated as properties for the C*-algebras without making reference to commutativity or the underlying space, and so have an immediate generalization. Among these are:
 * compactness (unital)
 * σ-compactness (σ-unital)
 * dimension (real or stable rank)
 * connectedness (projectionless)
 * extremally disconnected spaces (AW*-algebras)

Individual elements of a commutative C*-algebra correspond with continuous functions. And so certain types of functions can correspond to certain properties of a C*-algebra. For example, self-adjoint elements of a commutative C*-algebra correspond to real-valued continuous functions. Also, projections (i.e. self-adjoint idempotents) correspond to indicator functions of clopen sets.

Categorical constructions lead to some examples. For example, the coproduct of spaces is the disjoint union and thus corresponds to the direct sum of algebras, which is the product of C*-algebras. Similarly, product topology corresponds to the coproduct of C*-algebras, the tensor product of algebras. In a more specialized setting, compactifications of topologies correspond to unitizations of algebras. So the one-point compactification corresponds to the minimal unitization of C*-algebras, the Stone–Čech compactification corresponds to the multiplier algebra, and corona sets correspond with corona algebras.

There are certain examples of properties where multiple generalizations are possible and it is not clear which is preferable. For example, probability measures can correspond either to states or tracial states. Since all states are vacuously tracial states in the commutative case, it is not clear whether the tracial condition is necessary to be a useful generalization.

K-theory
One of the major examples of this idea is the generalization of topological K-theory to noncommutative C*-algebras in the form of operator K-theory.

A further development in this is a bivariant version of K-theory called KK-theory, which has a composition product

$$KK(A,B)\times KK(B,C)\rightarrow KK(A,C)$$

of which the ring structure in ordinary K-theory is a special case. The product gives the structure of a category to KK. It has been related to correspondences of algebraic varieties.

title: Noncommutative topology


text:
Bob Kilger

Robert Peter Paul Kilger (June 29, 1944 – November 29, 2021) was a Canadian politician.

Born in Cornwall, Ontario, Kilger was the former Liberal member of Parliament for the Cornwall region, representing the riding Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry from 2000 to 2004, and Stormont—Dundas from 1988 to 2000. He was Chief Government Whip, and Deputy Speaker and Chairman of Committees of the Whole of the House of Commons.

He lost his seat in the 2004 election to Conservative candidate Guy Lauzon. Prior to his political life, he was a businessman and coached the Cornwall Royals to a Memorial Cup victory in 1981. He also was a referee in the NHL. His son was former National Hockey League forward Chad Kilger.

Kilger was elected Mayor of the City of Cornwall on November 13, 2006, with 49.4 per cent of the popular vote. He was re-elected on October 25, 2010. On October 27, 2014, Kilger lost the 2014 mayoral race to Leslie O'Shaughnessy by nearly 1000 votes. He died on November 29, 2021, at the age of 77, from cancer, which he was first diagnosed with 11 years prior.

title: Bob Kilger


text:
Talk:Caltrop

Synonyms
A discussion from User talk:CyborgTosser:

Hello, CyborgTosser. Noticed your inclusion of "jack rock" as a synonym for caltrop. This puzzled me at first, as I haven't heard this term before, and couldn't find it in any of my dictionatires. Further, I was initially unable to find any Google references that didn't derive from the article. However, I did eventually find CODE OF ORDINANCES CITY OF WASHINGTON, ILLINOIS. These are cirty ordinances for a small town in Illinois. Thus, the term is possibly a local Illinois usage? At present the description makes it appear as if "jack rock" is a common or widely known synonym, which I don't believe is correct. I wondered if you had any additional information on the distribution of this usage so we could clarify the point? Securiger 01:36, 12 May 2004 (UTC)

 * Well, I found something here:  Not excatly the same thing, but along the same lines.  I know it's not just a local Illinois thing.  I didn't grow up in Illinois and it's the only word I've heard to describe such an item in modern usage.  I don't know where I first heard it, but when I mention it to other people, they seem to know what I'm talking about.  As a side note, I've always thought of "caltrop" having a military (and usually somewhat archaic) connotation, whereas "jack rock" describes something a criminal might put in the road to slow down police.  CyborgTosser 06:35, 18 May 2004 (UTC)

A related term seems to be "star nails", although it doesn't seem to be exactly the same thing. Anyone know? CyborgTosser 06:42, 18 May 2004 (UTC)

 * "Star nails" are smaller caltrops intended to puncture a vehicle's tires. --Carnildo 07:31, 8 Aug 2004 (UTC)

I added a bit about it being used in labor disputes as well. I know that there are definte POV concerns here. I do remember hearing about jack rocks during the catepillar strike - that they seemed to be a pretty widespread problem. I also seem to remember that not only were tires getting punctured by these devices, but that people were also getting hurt by stepping on them, and that one of the people injured was a reporter. I want to tread lightly here, but if anyone has a better way of exploring this that is more netural than feel free to make changes. JesseG 21:11, 10 January 2006 (UTC)

Dubious addition

 * Caltrops are used inside some atomic bombs to center the uranium or plutonium "pit" inside the spherical tamper. The air gap allows the tamper more time to accelerate, which compresses the pit more tightly and leads to more efficient fission.

I find this to be very unlikely -- for something as highly-engineered as an atom bomb, I'd think they'd use something purpose-built. --Carnildo 05:06, 8 August 2005 (UTC)

 * It may be that "caltrop" is just the name the engineers have given to a similarly-shaped, similarly-used part. The description of the air-gap is a fact, so there must be some kind of support for the pit (core).

 * Atlant 12:45, 8 August 2005 (UTC)

Questioning synonyms
I have never heard of a caltrop being refered to as a dragon's tooth other than the tenuous functional similarity already mentioned in the current article, will the editor who added it please provide a citation. I have deleted it in the meantime.

I was surprised not to find a reference to nail star - that is quite a descriptive name. However, is it really justified?

Jackrock seems prety obscure. However, while discounting web-pages that obviously originate from Wikipedia, in addition to CyborgTosser's reference above I did find a reference to a jackrock as a caltrop here and an authorative looking reference here (Sec. 21-1.4). Gaius Cornelius 17:04, 13 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Tiswas has recently been added as a synonym. I have googled and found no convincing confirmation. Revert pending cite.

Korea
I seem to recall reading somewhere (many years ago) that the Air Force would drop caltrops, or at least, something similar, along roads in North Korea during the Korean War. They'd do this around nightfall, then the next morning, bombers would return with bombs to destroy supply trucks that had been backed up when the first vehicle hit the devices and blew out it's tires (this was done before they had any effective means of locating enemy forces in the dark, making night bombing of supply convoys impractical).

Does anyone else remember this? If someone reminds me, I'll look for a cite after I get home tonight, but I'm on my way to work right now.--Raguleader 16:56, 20 November 2006 (UTC)

Libya
Rebels manufacture caltrops by the bucket full:

Bannockburn
I have remnoved the paragraph claiming that the Scots used Caltrops at Bannockburn. The only source to suggest that they were available at Bannockburn is Bower, who claims that they were brought by the English army. Thos caltrops alledgedly 'recovered' from the battlefield seem to have been manufactured by enteroprising Stirlingshire blacksmiths in the 19th century. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 81.152.110.125 (talk) 11:58, 8 January 2010 (UTC)

 * IIRC, they were used in the English Civil War. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.112.55.169 (talk) 21:16, 27 January 2011 (UTC)

The statement in the main article that "there is no evidence that the caltrop was used in either the first Wars of Scottish Independence (1296–1328)" conflicts with the wikipedia article on the Battle of Stirling Bridge, according to which "The heavy cavalry to the north of the river was trapped and cut to pieces (due, in part, to the strewing of caltrops to unseat the cavalry making them easy targets for the Scottish forces),..." — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.91.138.30 (talk) 11:50, 16 January 2013 (UTC)

How big are they
From the images, I can not determine how big caltrops are. From the first picture, they look gigantic! I looked for images that demonstrated a caltrops scale, but most were modern and just showed someone using them. Does anyone have a picture with them by say, a penny or ruler? If someone told how big they are, I could theoretically edit in a ruler, if that is permitted for images on articles.TheKing44 (talk) 22:07, 18 December 2014 (UTC)

Exploding caltrops?
We've a photo here of "exploding caltrops", or mines. Are you sure the use of "caltrop" here is correct? In modern parlance these would be known as "anti personnel mines". François Robere (talk) 21:15, 26 November 2018 (UTC)
 * The National Museum of China describes them as "Pottery Caltrops with Gunpowder" in English and as "蒺藜陶弹" ["caltrops pottery bomb"] in Chinese. Another Chinese museum describes them as "Pottery caltrop-shaped gunpowder weapon" in English and as "陶制火蒺藜" ["pottery fire caltrops"] in Chinese. Please feel free to change the description to use the terminology given in reliable sources. BabelStone (talk) 10:28, 27 November 2018 (UTC)

Notes and Queries Reference
In the 8th series vol II, p 406, 19 November 1892 - mentions a reference to the term being used in The Daily Telegraph in 1882 about the Egyptian war of the time. 89.197.114.196 (talk) 18:02, 21 February 2019 (UTC)

Symbolic Use- SA ?
The section Symbolic Use includes a long irrelevent text about troops in SADF. I can't see that we need that lot to understand the final sentence ?

IceDragon64 (talk) 22:18, 27 July 2021 (UTC)

title: Talk:Caltrop


text:
Rail transport in Belgium

Belgium has an extensive rail network. It is a member of the International Union of Railways (UIC). The UIC Country Code for Belgium is 88.

History
On May 5, 1835, the first railway in continental Europe opened between Brussels-Groendreef/Allée verte and Mechelen. Some sort of railroad or canal had been envisaged as early as 1830. The feasibility of a railroad was investigated by engineers Pierre Simons and Gustave De Ridder. The first trains were Stephenson engines imported from Great Britain. The engines were called Pijl meaning Arrow, Olifant meaning Elephant, and 'Stephenson' (named after its designer). They pulled bench-cars and diligences. On the return from Mechelen, the Olifant pulled all 30 cars. By 1840, Ghent, Bruges, Ostend, Antwerp, Mechelen, Brussels and Leuven were connected. The lines that had to reach Liège, Mons and Kortrijk were partially completed. In 1843, when the major East-West/North-South axes were complete, private companies were allowed to construct and use their own rail systems. These were crucial in the industrialisation of the country.

In 1870, the Belgian state owned 863 km of rail lines, while the private enterprises owned 2231 km. From 1870 to 1882, the railways were gradually nationalised. In 1912, 5000 km were state property compared to 300 km private lines. Full nationalisation was considered at the time but was not enacted until 1926, when the SNCB was started. It was named the SNCB (Société nationale des Chemins de Fer belges) or NMBS (Nationale Maatschappij der Belgische Spoorwegen), named in a similar way to the French rail network, SNCF, which was founded 12 years later. In 1958 the network was fully state-owned. On 5 May 1935 the SNCB started with electrification on the line Brussels North to Antwerp Central, 44 km.

Infrastructure
In 2003, the network constituted 3518 km of railways, all of which were standard gauge:. Of all of those railways, 2631 km were also electrified. Most electrified Belgian lines use a 3 kV DC overhead power supply, but the high speed-lines are electrified at 25 kV AC, as are recent electrifications in the south of the country (Rivage - Gouvy and Dinant - Athus lines).

Trains in Belgium normally run on the left hand track. This is in contrast to road vehicles, which drive on the right hand side of the road and is evidence of the British involvement in building the rail network in the 19th century.

The railway network is controlled and maintained by Infrabel.

Policy
Belgium operates a policy of cheap rail travel. Citizens in Belgium, especially students and older citizens, are offered incentives and cheaper fares in order to alleviate congestion on the nation's roads. Public sector employees are entitled to a free or heavily subsidised season ticket for commuting by rail. Many private sector employers will make a contribution to the cost of a season ticket. Smoking is prohibited in all railway stations, and all tracks since January 2023 (enclosed and outside too ), and passenger cars.

Rail links with adjacent countries

 * All adjacent countries use the same gauge.
 * Netherlands - different voltage 3 kV DC/1500 V DC. The change of voltage occurs south of Roosendaal, and between the Dutch stations of Eijsden and Maastricht Randwijck; monovoltage 3 kV Belgian trains proceed under reduced power to the first large station past the border (Roosendaal or Maastricht). Border crossings are at:
 * Essen, Visé (Wezet)
 * Meer (high speed line, 25 kV 50 Hz)
 * Hamont, Lanaken and Zelzate (all three: not electrified, freight only; line 20 Lanaken – Maastricht is "temporarily out of service" from Lanaken to the border, and not connected to the rest of the Belgian net.)
 * Eisden (planned, opening scheduled between 2012 and 2017)
 * Achel (closed, reopening scheduled between 2012 and 2017)
 * Sint-Gillis-Waas (closed), Turnhout (closed)
 * Germany - different voltage 3 kV DC/15 kV AC. The change of voltage occurs in Aachen station where there is a switchable track so that 3 kV monovoltage trains can reach Aachen. Change of voltage also on the Moresnet viaduct on the freight only line Visé - Montzen - Aachen West.  Border crossings are at:
 * Welkenraedt
 * Kelmis-Hergenrath (includes high speed traffic on the upgraded line)
 * Losheimergraben (dismounted), Raeren (dismounted), Gemmenich (freight only, voltage change between goods stations Montzen(B) and Gemmenich(D), several kilometers inside the Belgian side of the border).
 * Steinebrück (closed),
 * Luxembourg - different voltage 3 kV DC/25 kV AC. All Belgian lines going to the grand-duchy of Luxembourg use 25 kV 50 Hz long before the border so there is no voltage change. Border crossings are at:
 * Arlon - Sterpenich(B) – Kleinbettingen(L)
 * Gouvy(B) – Troisvierges(L)
 * Athus(B) or Aubange(B) - Rodange(L)
 * Lengeler, Benonchamps, Lommersweiler (all closed)
 * France - different voltage 3 kV DC/25 kV AC. The change of voltage occurs at the border, except for the high-speed line which is 25 kV throughout and as mentioned below. Border crossings are at:
 * Mouscron(B) (Moeskroen) – Tourcoing(F)
 * Tournai(B) – Froyennes(B) – Blandain(F) (voltage change long before the border, at the switch "Y Froyennes" from line 75A Tournai – Mouscron)
 * Quiévrain (dismounted)
 * Quévy(B) – Feignies(F)
 * Erquelinnes(B) – Jeumont(F)
 * Aubange(B) – Mont-Saint-Martin(F) (Belgian line is on 50 kV AC long before the border, no voltage change)
 * high speed line at Esplechin
 * Adinkerke to Dunkirk track in situ, line closed to passengers and freight
 * Momignies the track has been taken off in favor of a cycle track
 * Heer-Agimont (line from Dinant to Givet): track in situ, line closed to passengers and freight. Part of the line from Dinant used to be the site of a tourists' steam train, but no more in exploitation.
 * Menen, Comines-Warneton, Leupegem, Antoing, Péruwelz, Dour, Doische (closed)
 * United Kingdom - using HSL 1, LGV Nord, the Channel Tunnel and the High Speed 1/Channel Tunnel Rail Link is 25 kV AC. All rail transport between Belgium and the UK transits through France.

title: Rail transport in Belgium


text:
User talk:HTML~enwiki

Thanks for experimenting with Wikipedia. Your test worked, and has been reverted or removed. Please use the sandbox for any other tests you want to do. Take a look at the welcome page if you would like to learn more about contributing to our encyclopedia. Thanks. --Lexor|Talk 06:44, 18 May 2004 (UTC)

Your account will be renamed
Hello,

The developer team at Wikimedia is making some changes to how accounts work, as part of our on-going efforts to provide new and better tools for our users like cross-wiki notifications. These changes will mean you have the same account name everywhere. This will let us give you new features that will help you edit and discuss better, and allow more flexible user permissions for tools. One of the side-effects of this is that user accounts will now have to be unique across all 900 Wikimedia wikis. See the announcement for more information.

Unfortunately, your account clashes with another account also called HTML. To make sure that both of you can use all Wikimedia projects in future, we have reserved the name HTML~enwiki that only you will have. If you like it, you don't have to do anything. If you do not like it, you can pick out a different name. If you think you might own all of the accounts with this name and this message is in error, please visit Special:MergeAccount to check and attach all of your accounts to prevent them from being renamed.

Your account will still work as before, and you will be credited for all your edits made so far, but you will have to use the new account name when you log in.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Yours, Keegan Peterzell Community Liaison, Wikimedia Foundation 00:13, 20 March 2015 (UTC)

Renamed
 This account has been renamed as part of single-user login finalisation. If you own this account you can |log in using your previous username and password for more information. If you do not like this account's new name, you can choose your own using this form after logging in: . -- Keegan (WMF) (talk) 13:33, 22 April 2015 (UTC)

title: User talk:HTML~enwiki


text:
Tupolev Tu-160

The Tupolev Tu-160 (Туполев Ту-160 Белый лебедь; NATO reporting name: Blackjack) is a supersonic, variable-sweep wing nuclear-capable heavy strategic bomber and airborne missile platform designed by the Tupolev Design Bureau in the Soviet Union in the 1970s. It is the largest and heaviest Mach 2+ supersonic military aircraft ever built and second to the experimental XB-70 Valkyrie in overall length and top speed. As of 2024, it is the largest and heaviest combat aircraft, the fastest bomber in use and the largest and heaviest variable-sweep wing airplane ever flown. The Tu-160 is operated by the Long Range Aviation of the Russian Aerospace Forces.

Entering service in 1987, the Tu-160 was the last strategic bomber designed for the Soviet Air Forces and was built to serve as a conventional and nuclear-capable strike aircraft. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the newly independent Ukraine inherited a fleet of 19 Tu-160s, over half of all the Tu-160s in existence at that time. They had been deployed there since the late 1980s with local Soviet Air Force units and were soon afterwards handed over to the newly formed Ukrainian Air Force. Following protracted negotiations, 11 Ukrainian Tu-160s were purchased by the Russian Federation while the remainder were scrapped in the late 1990s under the Nunn–Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction agreement. Following these actions, the sole operator of the type is the Russian Aerospace Forces' Long Range Aviation branch, which has 16 Tu-160s in service as of 2016. The type had its combat debut in November 2015 during the Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War, conducting numerous airstrikes using Kh-101 air-launched cruise missiles. Various overseas deployments have been conducted, including to distant nations such as Venezuela and South Africa.

Since the early 2000s, the active fleet has been subject to several upgrades, largely focusing on various electronics systems. The Tu-160M modernization program of existing models began with the first updated aircraft delivered in December 2014. Plans announced in 2015 called for the delivery of 50 new-build Tu-160Ms as well as the upgrading of 16 existing aircraft. In January 2022, a newly-built Tu-160M performed a test flight, the first of the resumed serial production, with two planned for delivery in 2022 from 10 on order.

Origins
The first competition for a supersonic strategic heavy bomber was launched in the Soviet Union in 1967. In 1972, the Soviet Union launched a new multi-mission bomber competition to create a new supersonic, variable-geometry ("swing-wing") heavy bomber with a maximum speed of Mach 2.3, in response to the US Air Force B-1 bomber project. The Tupolev design, named Aircraft 160M, with a lengthened blended wing layout and incorporating some elements of the Tu-144, competed against the Myasishchev M-18 and the Sukhoi T-4 designs. Work on the new Soviet bomber continued despite an end to the B-1A and, in the same year, the design was accepted by the government committee. The prototype was photographed by an airline passenger at a Zhukovsky Airfield in November 1981, about a month before the aircraft's first flight on 18 December 1981. Production was authorized in 1984, beginning at the Kazan Aircraft Production Association (KAPO).

Modernization
In 2002, the Russian Defence Ministry and KAPO agreed to modernise 15 Tu-160s. In July 2006, the first overhauled and partially modernized aircraft was accepted into Russian service after testing; it reportedly received the capability to use conventional weapons but was not upgraded with new avionics as previously planned. The first modernized aircraft capable of carrying the new long-range Kh-555 conventional cruise missile was delivered to the Russian Air Force in April 2008; a follow-up contract for the modernization of three more aircraft is estimated to cost RUR3.4 billion (US$103 million).

The modernization appeared to be split into two phases, first concentrating on life extension with some initial communication–navigation updates, followed by engine upgrades after 2016. In November 2014, a Tu-160 upgraded with new radar and avionics performed its first flight. The aircraft was delivered to the Russian Air Force as the Tu-160M model in December 2014. The phase I update was due to be completed by 2016, but industrial limitations may delay it to 2019 or beyond. Although Kuznetsov designed an NK-32M engine with improved reliability over the NK-32 engines, its successor company has struggled to deliver working units. Metallist-Samara JSC had not produced new engines for a decade when it was given a contract in 2011 to overhaul 26 of the existing engines; two years later, only four had been finished. Ownership and financial concerns hinder the prospects of a new production line; the firm insists it needs a minimum of 20 engines ordered per year but the government is only prepared to pay for 4–6 engines per year. A further improved engine was bench tested in 2012 and projected to potentially enter production as early as 2016.

On 2 February 2020, the modernized Tu-160M performed its first test flight at the airfield of the Kazan Aviation Plant named for I. Gorbunov. Deliveries started later that year, five aircraft were equipped with the new engines by August 2022. According to Vladimir Putin, 4 Tu-160M were delivered in 2023.

Resumed production
In 2008, Russia revealed plans for one new Tu-160 to be delivered every one to two years with the aim of increasing the active inventory to 30 or more aircraft by 2025–2030. On 29 April 2015, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, on order of President Putin, announced that Tu-160 production would resume. In May 2015, TASS reported that the Russian Air Force would purchase at least 50 KAPO-built Tu-160s. General Viktor Bondarev stated that development of the PAK DA will proceed alongside Tu-160 production.

On 16 November 2017, a newly assembled Tu-160, built from an unfinished airframe, was unveiled during a roll-out ceremony at KAPO, signifying a restoration of certain production techniques such as electron-beam welding or titanium work reportedly lost after the termination of serial production in 1992. According to Dmitri Rogozin, the serial production of wholly new airframes for the modernized Tu-160M2 should begin in 2019 with deliveries to the Russian Aerospace Forces in 2023. The aircraft, named Petr Deinekin, after the first commanding officer of the Russian Air Force, performed its maiden flight in January 2018 and began flight testing the same month. It performed its first public flight on 25 January 2018, during President Vladimir Putin's visit to KAPO plant. The same day, a contract for ten upgraded Tu-160M2s was signed. On 12 January 2022 a new-build Tu-160M had its first low altitude basic test flight. It is planned to deliver two new-build Tu-160M in 2022 with production increasing until all 50 new aircraft on order are delivered. In December 2022, United Aircraft Corporation announced that the second new-build Tu-160M and the fourth modernized Tu-160M were starting flight tests. It was also reported that the first new Tu-160 had completed factory testing. 4 aircraft were delivered on 21 February 2024.

Other proposed variants
A demilitarized, commercial version of the Tu-160, named Tu-160SK, was displayed at Asian Aerospace in Singapore in 1994 with a model of a small space vehicle named Burlak attached underneath the fuselage.

In January 2018, Vladimir Putin, while visiting the KAPO plant, floated an idea of creating a civilian passenger supersonic transport version of Tu-160. Experts quoted by the news media were skeptical about the commercial and technological feasibility of such a civilian conversion.

Design

The Tu-160 is a variable-geometry wing aircraft. The aircraft employs a fly-by-wire control system with a blended wing profile, and full-span slats are used on the leading edges, with double-slotted flaps on the trailing edges and cruciform tail. Titanium constitutes around 30% of the aircraft's 110 t empty weight, and the largest component (the swing wing hinge) weighs 6 t. The Tu-160 has a crew of four (pilot, co-pilot, bombardier, and defensive systems operator) in K-36LM ejection seats.

The Tu-160 is powered by four Kuznetsov NK-32 afterburning turbofan engines, the most powerful ever fitted to a combat aircraft. Unlike the American B-1B Lancer, which reduced the original Mach 2+ requirement for the B-1A to achieve a smaller radar cross-section, the Tu-160 retains variable intake ramps, and is capable of reaching Mach 2.05 speed at altitude. The Tu-160 is equipped with a probe-and-drogue in-flight refueling system for extended-range missions, although it is rarely used. The Tu-160 has an internal fuel capacity of 130 t. In February 2008, Tu-160 bombers and Il-78 refueling tankers practiced air refueling during air combat exercise, as well as MiG-31, A-50 and other Russian combat aircraft.

The aircraft carries a TsNPO Leninets Obzor-K (Survey, NATO: Clam Pipe) radar for tracking ground and air targets, and a separate Sopka Terrain-following radar. Although the Tu-160 was designed for reduced detectability to both radar and infrared signature, it is not a stealth aircraft.

Weapons are carried in two internal bays, each capable of holding 22500 kg of free-fall weapons or a rotary launcher for missiles capable of carrying conventional or nuclear-warheads. The aircraft's total weapons load capacity is 45,000 kg (99,208 lb). No defensive weapons are provided; the Tu-160 is the first post-World War II Soviet bomber to lack such defenses. In 2020, officials stated that the Russian Aerospace Forces is planning to arm the Tu-160 with new hypersonic missiles, in particular the nuclear-capable Kh-47M2 Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched ballistic missile.

While similar in appearance to the American B-1 Lancer, the Tu-160 is a different class of combat aircraft; its primary role being a standoff missile platform (strategic missile carrier). The Tu-160 is also larger and faster than the B-1B and has a slightly greater combat range, though the B-1B has a larger combined payload with external payload. Another noticeable difference is that the B-1's colour scheme is usually subdued dark gray to reduce visibility; the Tu-160 is painted with anti-flash white, giving it the nickname among Russian airmen "White Swan". On 16 September 2023, Commander of the long-range aviation Lieutenant General Sergei Kobylash announced that Russian Tu-160s were outfitted with the newest Kh-BD cruise missile with range of 6,500 km. Each bomber can carry 12 missiles separated on two rotary launchers.

Operational history

In April 1987, the Tu-160 entered operational service with the 184th Guards Heavy Bomber Regiment located at Pryluky, Ukrainian SSR. The regiment, previously operating Tu-16 and Tu-22M3 strategic bombers, was the first unit to receive the Tu-160. Squadron deployments to Long Range Aviation began that same month. The Tu-160's first public appearance in a parade came in 1989. During 1989 and 1990, a total of 44 world speed flight records in its weight class were set. In January 1992, Boris Yeltsin decided to end serial production of the Tu-160; 35 aircraft were completed by this time. Russia also unilaterally suspended flights of strategic aviation over remote regions.

A total of 19 Tu-160s were based inside the newly independent Ukraine during the dissolution of the Soviet Union. On 25 August 1991, the Ukrainian parliament decreed that the new nation would take control of all military units on its territory; a Defence Ministry was created that same day. By the mid-1990s, the Pryluky regiment had lost its value as a combat unit; 19 Tu-160s were effectively grounded due to a lack of technical support and spare parts. Ukraine considered the Tu-160s to be a bargaining chip in economic negotiations with Russia and of limited military value. While Russian experts, who examined the aircraft at the Pryluky Air Base in 1993 and 1996, assessed their technical condition as good, the US$3 billion price proposed by Ukraine was considered by Russia to be unacceptable. In April 1998, amid stalled negotiations, Ukraine decided to commence scrapping the fleet under the Nunn–Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction agreement. In November, the first Tu-160 was deconstructed at Pryluky.

In April 1999, Russia resumed talks with Ukraine, proposing to purchase eight Tu-160 and three Tu-95MS bombers manufactured in 1991 (those in the best technical condition), as well as 575 Kh-55SM cruise missiles. An agreement was reached and a US$285 million contract was signed, the value of which was deducted from Ukraine's debt for natural gas. On 20 October 1999, a group of Russian military experts went to Ukraine to prepare the aircraft for the flight to Engels-2 air base. On 5 November, the first two aircraft, a Tu-160 and a Tu-95MS, departed Pryluky. During the following months, the balance were flown to Engels-2.

Alongside buying Ukrainian Tu-160s, Russia pursued other means to expanding its fleet. In June 1999, the Russian Defence Ministry and KAPO signed a contract for a delivery of a single near-complete bomber. Named Aleksandr Molodchiy, it was the second aircraft in the eighth production batch. It arrived at Engels-2 on 10 September and was commissioned into service on 5 May 2000. The unit operating the fleet from Engels-2 was the 121st Guards Heavy Bomber Regiment which was formed up in early 1992 and received six aircraft by 1994. By the end of February 2001, the fleet stood at 15 with the addition of the eight Ukrainian Tu-160s and the new-build. The fleet was reduced to 14 due to the crash of the Mikhail Gromov during flight trials of a replacement engine on 18 September 2003. On 5 July 2006, a Tu-160 named Valentin Bliznyuk, named after the Tu-160's chief designer, entered service with the Russian Air Force after completing its overhaul, bringing the total number back to 15. Built in 1986, it was formerly used as a test aircraft by Tupolev.

On 22 April 2006, the commander of the Long-Range Aviation Lieutenant General Igor Khvorov reported a pair of Tu-160s flew undetected through a US-controlled sector during a military exercise in the Arctic.

On 17 August 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the resumption of strategic aviation flights stopped in 1991. On 14 September 2007, British and Norwegian fighters intercepted two Tu-160s in international airspace near the United Kingdom and Finland, as they were patrolling the North Atlantic. On 25 December 2007, two Danish Air Force F-16s were scrambled to intercept two Tu-160s near Danish airspace.

On 11 September 2007, according to Russian government sources, a Tu-160 deployed a massive fuel-air explosive device, called Father of All Bombs, for its first field test. Some US military analysts expressed skepticism that the weapon was actually delivered by a Tu-160.

On 29 April 2008, a new Tu-160 named Vitaly Kopylov joined the Russian Air Force, increasing the total number of aircraft in service to 16. In early 2008, Tu-160s took part in an exercise with the Russian Navy in the Atlantic Ocean.

On 10 September 2008, two Tu-160s made an unprecedented deployment to Russia's ally Venezuela as part of military manoeuvres amid increasingly tense relations between Russia and the United States. The Russian Defence Ministry said Vasily Senko and Aleksandr Molodchiy would conduct training flights over neutral waters before returning to Russia. They were escorted by NATO fighters as they crossed the Atlantic Ocean.

On 12 October 2008, Tu-160s were involved in the largest Russian strategic bomber exercise since 1984. A total of 12 bombers including Tu-160 and Tu-95 aircraft conducted a series of launches of their cruise missiles. Some bombers launched a full complement of missiles; it was the first time that a Tu-160 had ever fired a full complement of missiles.

On 10 June 2010, two Tu-160s carried out a record-breaking 23-hour patrol with a planned flight range of 18000 km, having flown along Russia's borders and over neutral waters in the Arctic and Pacific Oceans.

In August 2011, Russian media claimed that only four of the sixteen Tu-160s were flight worthy. Flight International reported eleven were combat-ready by mid-2012; between 2011 and 2013, eleven were observed in flight.

On 1 November 2013, Aleksandr Golovanov and Aleksandr Novikov entered Colombian airspace on two separate occasions while flying from Venezuela to Nicaragua. Noting a lack of clearance, the Colombian government issued a letter of protest to the Russian government after the first violation. In the second violation, two Colombian Air Force IAI Kfirs stationed at Barranquilla intercepted and escorted the two Tu-160s out of Colombian airspace.

On 17 November 2015, as part of the Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War, several Tu-160 and Tu-95MS strategic bombers of the Russian Aerospace Forces carried out airstrikes in Idlib and Aleppo provinces using the Kh-101 air-launched cruise missiles fired from the Mediterranean. In total, between 34 and 83 cruise missiles were fired, destroying 14 targets. In addition, Tu-22M3 strategic bombers hit numerous claimed IS targets with unguided ammunition. This also marked the combat debut for the Tu-160 and Tu-95MS.

In August 2018, a number of Russian military aircraft including two Tu-160, Tu-95MS strategic bombers and Il-78 aerial tankers were deployed for the first time to the Russian Far East as part of a long-range tactical flight exercise, flying 7,000 km non-stop flight from their home base in Saratov Oblast to Chukotka. During the exercise, the crews practised combat use of cruise missiles at the Komi Test Range and performed aerial refueling.

In November 2018, a modernized Tu-160M test-fired a full complement of 12 Kh-101 cruise missiles at the Pemboi Test Range in the northeastern region of Komi Republic.

On 10 December 2018, two Tu-160s accompanied by an An-124 cargo plane and an Il-62 passenger plane, landed at the Maiquetía airport in Venezuela. On 23 October 2019, two Tu-160s accompanied by an An-124 and an Il-62 visited South Africa as part of strengthening ties between the two nations; the aircraft performed a 13 hours non-stop flight over the Caspian Sea, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean, covering 11000 km with mid-air refueling and landed at Waterkloof Air Force Base in South Africa. It was the Tu-160's first visit to the African continent.

On 11 November 2021, the Belarusian Defense Ministry announced that two Russian Tu-160s flew on a training mission over Belarus alongside Belarusian Air Force Sukhoi Su-30s.

The type was involved in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. According to Ukrainian sources, on 6 March 2022, a Tu-160 along with a Tu-95MS strategic bomber launched eight cruise missiles, presumably the Kh-101, at the Havryshivka Vinnytsia International Airport from the Black Sea area. On 26 June 2022, Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat reported four to six Kh-101 cruise missiles were launched by Tu-160 and Tu-95MS bombers at Kyiv from the Caspian Sea area.

Potential operators
In 2022, retired Air Chief Marshal Anoop Raha revealed in response to a question that India was interested in purchasing Tu-160s. Reports have emerged that India is in talks with Russia to acquire six Tu-160s that will make India the only country other than US, Russia and China to have operational strategic bombers.

Variants

 * Tu-160: Production version.
 * Tu-160S:Designation used for serial Tu-160s when needed to separate them from all the pre-production and experimental aircraft.
 * Tu-160V: Proposed liquid hydrogen fueled version (see also Tu-155).
 * Tu-160 NK-74: Proposed upgraded (extended range) version with NK-74 engines.
 * Tu-160M: Upgraded version that features new weaponry, improved electronics and avionics.
 * Tu-160P (Tu-161): Proposed very long-range escort fighter/interceptor version.
 * Tu-160PP: Proposed electronic warfare version carrying stand-off jamming and ECM gear (ПП – постановщик помех "jamming").
 * Tu-160R: Proposed strategic reconnaissance version.
 * Tu-160SK: Proposed commercial version, designed to launch satellites via the "Burlak" (Бурлак, "hauler") launch system.
 * Tu-160M2: Highly upgraded version featuring, new avionics, electronics, glass cockpit, communications and control systems, and a number of new weapons, as well as new more powerful and efficient engines giving it greater operational range. It will also have a new defensive system protecting it from incoming missiles. The first plane was to be ready by late 2021.

Current operators

 * Russian Aerospace Forces – 17 Tu-160s are in service as of 2022 with modernization to the Tu-160M2 level started in 2018. All aircraft are being modernized to the "M2" standard. Another 10 Tu-160M2 are on order.
 * 6950th Guards Air Base – Engels-2 (air base), Saratov Oblast
 * 121st Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment
 * 121st Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment

Former operators

 * Soviet Air Forces Long Range Aviation – aircraft were transferred to Russian and Ukrainian Air Forces after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
 * 201st Heavy Bomber Aviation Division – Pryluky Air Base, Chernihiv Oblast, Ukrainian SSR
 * 184th Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment (GvTBAP)
 * Ukrainian Air Force – inherited 19 Tu-160s from the former Soviet Union, and subsequently handed over 8 Tu-160s to Russia as exchange for gas debt relief in 1999; the remainder were scrapped under the Nunn–Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction agreement led by the US.
 * 201st Heavy Bomber Aviation Division – Pryluky Air Base, Chernihiv Oblast, Ukraine
 * 184th Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment (GvTBAP)
 * 1 Tu-160 in the Poltava Museum of Long-Range and Strategic Aviation
 * 184th Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment (GvTBAP)
 * 1 Tu-160 in the Poltava Museum of Long-Range and Strategic Aviation

title: Tupolev Tu-160