text:
Luigi Giussani

Luigi Giovanni Giussani (15 October 1922 – 22 February 2005) was an Italian Catholic priest, theologian, educator, public intellectual, and founder of the international Catholic movement Comunione e Liberazione ( Communion and Liberation). His beatification process was opened in 2012.

Biography
Luigi Giussani was born on 15 October 1922 in Desio, near Milan, Italy. His father, Beniamino Giussani, was an artist and anarchist. His mother, Angelina Gelosa, worked in a textile factory and was a devout Catholic.

On 2 October 1933, he entered the diocesan seminary of Saint Peter Martyr Seveso, where he attended the first four years of school. As part of his studies, he learned how to understand "secular" works of art (such as the poetry of Giacomo Leopardi, and the music of Ludwig van Beethoven) as expressing a sense of spirituality and as unconscious prophecies of Christ's incarnation. With his fellow seminarians, including Enrico Manfredini (later Bishop of Piacenza) and Giacomo Biffi (later Archbishop of Bologna), Giussani founded a study group and newsletter named Studium Christi.

Giussani was ordained to the priesthood on 26 May 1945 at the young age of 22. His ordination had been accelerated by the authorities in the Milan archdiocese as they feared that his serious respiratory health problems (which would plague him his entire life) would lead to his death before becoming a priest. Following ordination, Giussani began teaching at the Venegono Seminary. His academic interests were Eastern Christian Theology and American Protestantism.

In the early 1950s, he requested of his superiors to be allowed to leave seminary teaching to work in high schools. He was driven by a desire to bring the Christian experience to the school environment in response to the questions of young people living in a context that he perceived to be increasingly hostile to both the Christian faith and the Catholic Church. He perceived a need to help young people to discover that real faith was relevant to one's life.

Beginning in 1954, he taught at the Berchet Lyceum (classical high school) in Milan until 1967. During this time his primary intellectual interest was the question of education; his involvement with the religious instruction of the students at Berchet was instrumental in the rapid growth of Gioventú Studentesca (GS, Student Youth), which at the time was a student wing of Azione Cattolica (Catholic Action). In the booklets Conquiste fondamentali per la vita e la presenza cristiana nel mondo (Fundamental Conquests for Christian Life and Presence in the World) (1954, co-authored with Fr. Costantino Oggioni) and L'esperienza (Experience) (1963), he outlined the fundamental ideas behind his approach to the formation of young people. His premise was that Faith is not just doctrines and moral laws, but an event; that Christ is the centre of everything; and that one comes to know Christ in the community of the Church.

In 1964 Giussani began teaching introductory theology at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan, a position he occupied until 1990. In obedience to a request of his Archbishop, Giovanni Colombo, he left Gioventú Studentesca in 1965 and devoted himself to theological studies. In the late 1960s his superiors sent him on several periods of study in the US; during this time he wrote ''Grandi linee della teologia protestante americana. Profilo storico dalle origini agli anni 50 (An Outline of American Protestant Theology. An Historic Profile from the Origins to the 50s'').

In 1969 he returned to guide the former GS group, which had broken away from Azione Cattolica in the wake of the student rebellions that swept Europe following the events of May 1968. The rebellions were in opposition to the so-called "Svolta a sinistra" (Italian for "shift to left", meaning the endorsements of socialists and liberal positions) of the Italian Catholic associationism. Under the new name Comunione e Liberazione (Communion and Liberation), the movement Giussani founded attracted university students and adults in addition to high school students. Members of the movement, which Giussani led from 1969 until his death in 2005, became influential not only in the Church but also in politics and business.

In 1983 he was given the title of Monsignor by Pope John Paul II. He outlined his views on politics in an address to an assembly of the Italian Christian Democratic party at Assago on 6 February 1987.

Ideas
One of Giussani's central themes is that Christian faith is, in its most primary and central form, a relationship. He emphasised that Christianity began as a relationship with a particular individual, Jesus of Nazareth, and that the morals and theology of the Church are an outgrowth of this relationship.

Giussani believed that one of the central problems for faith in the modern world is that it has been subject to various reductions. Some people experience faith as merely an empty formalism completely focused on following moral rules. There is no longer a living relationship with the person of God, but instead a ritualistic attempt to meet standards. Similarly, faith is sometimes reduced to intellectualism or an attempt to rationally defend certain doctrinal positions. Although morals and doctrine are both important they are not the central event of faith. The central reality of faith is a relationship with Christ as He becomes visible within reality.

Giussani also taught that the principal goal of a Christian life is to grow in maturity in the relationship with God. According to Giussani, this becomes possible when one sees all of reality as an incarnation of one's own individual relationship with God. Where some forms of Christianity attempt to grow in faith by emphasizing emotional intensity and sentiments (sentimentalism) and others by the rigours of moral perfectionism (moralism), he taught that maturity comes through a growing awareness that all of life's circumstances present an opportunity to better know God.

Death
Giussani died on 22 February 2005 at the age of eighty-three. He was interred in Milan's Cimitero Monumentale.

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, (later Pope Benedict XVI), delivered the homily at his funeral, where he said of Giussani: "[H]e understood that Christianity is not an intellectual system, a packet of dogmas, a moralism; Christianity is rather an encounter, a love story; it is an event". Traces, the magazine of Communion and Liberation, published a retrospective issue on the life and work of Giussani in March 2005.

On 17 January 2006, the Holy See officially recognized Giussani as the co-founder, along with Fr. Étienne Pernet, A.A, of the Sisters of Charity of the Assumption, a community of religious women.

Works
Giussani's writings have been translated into many different languages.

PerCorso Trilogy

 * The Religious Sense, McGill-Queen's University Press (1 October 1997). ISBN 0-7735-1626-3.
 * At the Origin of the Christian Claim, McGill-Queen's University Press (1 January 1998). ISBN 0-7735-1627-1.
 * Why the Church?, McGill-Queen's University Press (October 2000). ISBN 0-7735-1707-3.

Other works translated into English

 * American Protestant Theology: A Historical Sketch. McGill-Queen's University Press (2013). ISBN 978-0773541979
 * Morality: Memory and Desire Ignatius Press (1 November 1986) ISBN 0-89870-090-6
 * He Is If He Changes 30Days (1994)
 * Religious Awareness in Modern Man Communio 25, no. 1 (1998): 104-140.
 * The Risk of Education Crossroad (15 August 2001) ISBN 0-8245-1899-3
 * The Psalms Crossroad (June 2004) ISBN 0-8245-2124-2
 * The Journey to Truth Is an Experience McGill-Queen's University Press (October 2006) ISBN 0-7735-3148-3
 * Christ, God's Companionship with Man McGill-Queen's University Press (3 July 2015) ISBN 0-7735-4566-2

Selected online texts

 * Luigi Giussani Works - Opera Omnia, in progress

Essays, book excerpts

 * "The Kingdom of Caesar and Action" (1954)
 * "Experience" (1963)
 * "Simon, Do You Love Me?" (1998)
 * "The Five Without" (1998)
 * "Moved By The Infinite" (2003)
 * "Faith Is Given Us That We Communicate It" (2004)

Speeches and addresses

 * "From Utopia to Presence" (1976)
 * "Religious Sense, Works and Politics" (1986)
 * "Recognizing Christ" (1994)
 * "In the Simplicity of my Heart I have gladly given You everything" (1998)
 * "Woman, Do Not Weep!" (2002)

Interviews

 * Fr. Giussani - Three Interviews (Retequattro) (Video)
 * Excerpt from interview with Robi Ronza
 * Interview with Renato Farina
 * Interview with Renato Farina

title: Luigi Giussani


text:
Wikipedia:Featured article candidates/Comet Hale-Bopp

Comet Hale-Bopp
Probably the most widely-observed comet in history, and I hope its article does it some justice. I've worked substantially on it over the last several months. I think it is comprehensive and interesting, and so I'm nominating this for featured status. Worldtraveller 14:55, 23 Feb 2005 (UTC)

 * Support. Interesting read. Zerbey 21:41, 23 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Most hearty support. Denni ☯ 03:00, 2005 Feb 24 (UTC)
 * Support, I learned a lot from this article. But isn't Halley's Comet the most observed comet? I would think that at least a mention of this comet would be useful. Mgm|(talk) 09:37, Feb 24, 2005 (UTC)
 * Thanks very much for the comment! I've added a mention of Halley in the final paragraph - In terms of total numbers Hale Bopp may have been seen by more people than have ever seen Halley throughout history, due to population growth (although I haven't made quite so bold a statement in the article!), and definitely way way more in numbers and in terms of proportion of the global population than saw Halley in 1986. Worldtraveller 12:10, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Comment I do not dare to object an article such as this for so futile reasons, but the lead section could be improved; right now it uses a lot of journalistic-style terms at the limit of POV and feels like it does not want to give exact figures and is a bit uncertain about the subject. Consider "discovered at an enormous distance from the sun", "one of the most spectacular", "probably the most widely-observed"... Otherwise, 1st class article. Phils 12:41, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Thanks for that comment, I agree with your sentiments and have adjusted the intro and some other bits accordingly. I left 'probably the most widely-observed' because there's really no way of saying so for sure but it has been speculated by several authoritative sources so seems worth mentioning, I think. Worldtraveller 13:14, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Support - Comet Hyakutake was better, though. -- ALoan (Talk) 19:45, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Support. Very well done. I made a few fixes for readability so please check to make sure it did in fact leave the facts stated correctly. I also formatted one of the references properly as at Cite sources, but the Hale, A., & Bopp one needs to be done correctly too. It lacks a title it seems. - Taxman 22:07, Feb 24, 2005 (UTC)
 * Thanks for your comments and changes to the article - I just re-reworded one bit slightly for hopefully greater clarity. I am not sure the Hale & Bopp ref has a title, but IAUCs are only available online to subscribers so can't check at the moment.  Will check from a university machine shortly.  Worldtraveller 22:41, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Support Good job. Phils 15:01, 25 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Comments: Regarding its forma designation, there is no link to any designation system of any kind, please make one so that the reader read more about this naming scheme (whatever it is). The passage of Hale-Bopp was notable also for inciting a degree of comet panic not seen for decades. Comet panic? Is this some astology-jargon?;) How about just panic, perhaps it's well known term (I have no idea). —Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason 21:20, 2005 Feb 25 (UTC)
 * OK, I rearranged the text a tiny bit to avoid the impression of using astrology jargon! And I've linked to an article about astronomical naming conventions. Worldtraveller 17:09, 26 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Those were the only things I found immitately wrong with the article, change to support. —Ævar Arnfjörð Bjarmason 19:45, 2005 Feb 26 (UTC)
 * Support one of the better article nominated, very nice presentation, balance of content and and photos. Good work! Vaoverland 01:25, Feb 28, 2005 (UTC)
 * Support Joshuaschroeder 05:50, 28 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Support Trilobite (Talk) 07:08, 28 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * Support Lommer | talk 00:32, 1 Mar 2005 (UTC)

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


text:
Ruth Packer

Ruth Packer (22 October 1910 – 12 January 2005) was an English operatic soprano.

Packer was born in London. In 1939, she made her operatic debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in Die Walküre. During World War Two, she appeared frequently with Sadler's Wells Opera and the Carl Rosa Opera Company. After the war, she performed regularly with the newly formed Welsh National Opera.

After her retirement from the stage, Packer taught voice at the Royal College of Music, and later privately.

Packer married two Welshmen, first the tenor Tudor Davies (1892–1958), and, secondly, Maj. Ynyr Probert. She was twice widowed, and had no children.

She died in São Bras de Alportel, Portugal, aged 94.

title: Ruth Packer


text:
Category:Wikipedia help

This category and its subcategories contain Wikipedia help pages and help templates. See Help:Contents for an overview of these pages.
 * For a listing of "help" and "instructional" pages, see the Help directory

title: Category:Wikipedia help


text:
Ruan (instrument)

The ruan is a traditional Chinese plucked string instrument. It is a lute with a fretted neck, a circular body, and four strings. Its four strings were formerly made of silk but since the 20th century they have been made of steel (flatwound for the lower strings). The modern ruan has 24 frets with 12 semitones on each string, which has greatly expanded its range from a previous 13 frets. The frets are commonly made of ivory or in recent times of metal mounted on wood. The metal frets produce a brighter tone as compared to the ivory frets. It is sometimes called ruanqin, particularly in Taiwan.

Sizes

The ruan comes in a family of five sizes:

 * soprano: gaoyinruan (高音阮, lit. "high pitched ruan"; tuning: G3-D4-G4-D5)
 * alto: xiaoruan (小阮, lit. "small ruan"; tuning: D3-A3-D4-A4)
 * tenor: zhongruan (中阮, lit. "medium ruan"; tuning: G2-D3-G3-D4)
 * bass: daruan (大阮, lit. "large ruan"; tuning: D2-A2-D3-A3)
 * contrabass: diyinruan (低音阮, lit. "low pitched ruan"; tuning: G1-D2-G2-D3)

The ruan is now most commonly used in Chinese opera and the Chinese orchestra, where it belongs to the plucked string (弹拨乐 or chordophone) section.

Playing techniques and usage
The instrument can be played using a plectrum similar to a guitar pick (formerly made of animal horn, but today often plastic), or using a set of two or five acrylic nails that are affixed to the fingers with adhesive tape. Mainstream ruan players use plectrums, though there are some schools which teach the fingernail technique, similar to that of the pipa. Pipa players who play ruan as a second instrument also often use their fingernails. Plectrums produce a louder and more clear tone, while fingernails allow the performance of polyphonic solo music. The instrument produces a mellow tone.

In Chinese orchestras, only the zhongruan and daruan are commonly used, to fill in the tenor and bass section of the plucked string section. Occasionally the gaoyinruan is used to substitute the high-pitched liuqin.

Daruan soloists generally use the D-A-D-A tuning, as it allows for the easy performance of diatonic chords. Some orchestral players tune to C-G-D-A, which is exactly the same as cello tuning. The advantage of using C-G-D-A in orchestras is so that the daruan can easily double the cello part.

A ruan ensemble (重奏) consists of two or more members of the ruan family, for instance, an ensemble of the xiaoruan, zhongruan and daruan. The wide range covered by the ruan, its easily blended tone quality, and the variety of soprano, alto, tenor, bass, and contrabass instruments all make ruan ensembles very effective in playing polyphonic music.

History
Ruan may have a history of over 2,000 years, the earliest form may be the qin pipa (秦琵琶), which was then developed into ruanxian (named after Ruan Xian, 阮咸), shortened to ruan (阮). In old Chinese texts from the Han to the Tang dynasty, the term pipa was used as a generic term for a number plucked chordophones, including ruan, therefore does not necessarily mean the same as the modern usage of pipa which refers only to the pear-shaped instrument. According to the Pipa Annals 《琵琶赋》 by Fu Xuan (傅玄) of the Western Jin dynasty, the pipa was designed after revision of other Chinese plucked string instruments of the day such as the Chinese zither, zheng (筝) and zhu (筑), or konghou (箜篌), the Chinese harp. However, it is believed that ruan may have been descended from an instrument called xiantao (弦鼗) which was constructed by labourers on the Great Wall of China during the late Qin dynasty (hence the name Qin pipa) using strings stretched over a pellet drum.

The antecedent of ruan in the Qin dynasty (221 BC – 206 BC), i.e. the Qin pipa, had a long, straight neck with a round sound box in contrast to the pear-shape of pipa of later dynasties. The name of "pipa" is associated with "tantiao" (彈挑), a right hand techniques of playing a plucked string instrument. "Pi" (琵), which means "tan" (彈), is the downward movement of plucking the string. "Pa" (琶), which means "tiao" (挑), is the upward movement of plucking the string.

The present name of the Qin pipa, which is "ruan", was not given until the Tang dynasty (8th century). During the reign of Empress Wu Zetian (武則天) (about 684–704 AD), a copper instrument that looked like the Qin pipa was discovered in an ancient tomb in Sichuan (四川). It had 13 frets and a round sound box. It was believed that it was the instrument which the Eastern Jin (東晉) musician Ruan Xian (阮咸) loved to play. Ruan Xian was a scholar in the Three Kingdoms Eastern Jin (三國東晉) dynasty period (3rd century). He and six other scholars disliked the corrupt government, so they gathered in a bamboo grove in Shanyang (山陽, now in Henan [河南] province). They drank, wrote poems, played music and enjoyed the simple life. The group was known as the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove (竹林七賢). Since Ruan Xian was an expert and famous in playing an instrument that looked like the Qin pipa, the instrument was named after him as ruanxian (阮咸) when the copper Qin pipa was found in a tomb during the Tang dynasty. Today it is shortened to ruan (阮).

Also during the Tang dynasty, a ruanxian was brought to Japan from China. Now this ruanxian is still stored in Shosoin of the Nara National Museum in Japan. The ruanxian was made of red sandalwood and decorated with mother of pearl inlay. The ancient ruanxian shows that the look of today's ruan has not changed much since the 8th century.

Nowadays, although the ruan was never as popular as the pipa, the ruan has been divided into several smaller and better-known instruments within the recent few centuries, such as yueqin ("moon" lute, 月琴) and qinqin (Qin [dynasty] lute, 秦琴). The short-necked yueqin, with no sound holes, is now used primarily in Beijing opera accompaniment. The long-necked qinqin is a member of both Cantonese (廣東) and Chaozhou (潮州) ensembles.

The famed Tang poet Bai Juyi (白居易) once penned a poem about the ruan, entitled "Having a Little Drink and Listening to the Ruanxian with the Deputy Minister of Linghu" 《和令狐仆射小饮听阮咸》 (He Linghu Puye Xiao Yin Ting Ruanxian):

《和令狐仆射小饮听阮咸》 Having a Little Drink and Listening to the Ruanxian with the Deputy Minister of Linghu (He Linghu Puye Xiao Yin Ting Ruanxian) 作者：白居易（唐） by Bai Juyi (Tang dynasty, 772–846)

 * 掩抑复凄清，非琴不是筝.
 * Gloom and melancholy compounded with misery and desolation;
 * It's not a qin, and neither is it a zheng.
 * 还弹乐府曲，别占阮家名.
 * It still plays yuefu songs,
 * And also bears the Ruan family name.
 * 古调何人识，初闻满座惊.
 * Of ancient melodies, who [today] knows them?
 * [Yet] upon first listen, all those in attendance are left in awe.
 * 落盘珠历历，摇佩玉琤琤.
 * Pearls fall on a platter, one by one;
 * Shaken pendants of jade jangle.
 * 似劝杯中物，如含林下情.
 * As if to urge [listeners to drain] the contents of their winecups,
 * Or to harbor emotions [such as one might feel while lying] beneath a grove [of flowering plum trees].
 * 时移音律改，岂是昔时声.
 * As the times change, so too does music;
 * Can this be the sound of former times?

Ruan and Pipa
A small pipa was found in murals of tombs in Liaoning (遼寧) province in northeastern China. The date of these tombs is about late Eastern Han (東漢) or Wei (魏) period (220–265 AD). However, the pear-shaped pipa was not brought to China from Dunhuang (敦煌, now in northwestern China) until the Northern Wei period (386–524 AD) when ancient China traded with the western countries through the Silk Road (絲綢之路). Evidence was shown on the Dunhuang Caves frescoes that the frescoes contain a large number of pipa, and they date to 4th to 5th century.

During the Han period (206 BC-220 AD), Lady Wang Zhaojun (王昭君, known as one of the Four Beauties [四大美人] in ancient China) departed mainland to the west and married the Grand Khan of the Huns. The marriage was meant to maintain peace between the two ancient countries. On her way to the west, she carried a pipa on the horse. Looking back today, her pipa must have been a ruan-type instrument with a round sound box, since the pear-shaped pipa was not brought to China until the Northern Wei dynasty after the Han dynasty. However, in almost all the portraits and dramas, Lady Zhaojun's pipa is displayed inaccurately. The pipa is usually shown with a pear-shaped sound box (as in today's pipa), rather than a round sound box.

Note that the frets on all Chinese lutes are high so that the fingers never touch the actual body—distinctively different from western fretted instruments. This allows for a greater control over timbre and intonation than their western counterparts, but makes chordal playing more difficult.

Laruan (bowed ruan)
In addition to the plucked ruan instruments mentioned above, there also exist a family of bowed string instruments called lāruǎn and dalaruan (literally "bowed ruan" and "large bowed ruan"). Both are bowed bass register instruments designed as alternatives to the gehu and diyingehu in large orchestras of Chinese traditional instruments. These instruments correspond to the cello and double bass in range. Chinese orchestras currently using the laruan and dalaruan include the China National Traditional Orchestra and Central Broadcasting National Orchestra, the latter formerly conducted by the late maestro Peng Xiuwen (彭修文).

Repertoire
A famous work in the zhongruan repertoire is the zhongruan concerto "Reminiscences of Yunnan" 《云南回忆》 by Liu Xing (刘星, b. China, 1962), the first full-scale concerto for the zhongruan and the Chinese orchestra. This work finally established the zhongruan as an instrument capable of playing solo with the Chinese orchestra.

Some works for the ruan:

 * 《满江红》 Red Fills the River – zhongruan concerto
 * 《汉琵琶情》 Love of the Han Pipa – zhongruan concerto
 * 《玉关引》 Narration of Yuguan – ruan quartet
 * 《山韵》 Mountain Tune – zhongruan concerto
 * 《塞外音诗》 Sound Poem Beyond The Great Wall- zhongruan concerto
 * 《泼水节》The Water Festival- Ruan Tecerto
 * 《睡莲》 Water Lilies- zhongruan solo
 * 《火把节之夜》 Night of the Torch Festival- zhongruan solo 吴俊生* – Fernwood "Nightingale"
 * 《翠华山的传说》

Some of Lin Jiliang's compositions for the ruan:
 * 《石头韵》
 * 《凤凰花开》 Flowers Open in Fenghuang Translation from MDBG.net
 * 《满江红》
 * 《侗歌》
 * 《草原抒怀》
 * 《牧马人之歌》
 * 《石林夜曲》

Some of Liu Xing's compositions for the ruan:

 * 《云南回忆》 Reminiscences of Yunnan, zhongruan concerto
 * 《第二中阮协奏曲》Second Zhongruan Concerto
 * 《山歌》, zhongruan solo
 * 《月光》, zhongruan solo
 * 《孤芳自赏》, zhongruan solo
 * 《天地之间》, zhongruan solo
 * 《第六号-异想天开》, zhongruan duet
 * 《第七号- 夜长梦多》, zhongruan solo
 * 《第十一号-心不在焉》, zhongruan solo
 * 《流连忘返》, zhongruan solo
 * 《随心所欲》, zhongruan solo
 * 《回心转意》, zhongruan solo
 * 《来日方长》, zhongruan solo
 * 《无所事事》, zhongruan solo
 * 《水到渠成》, zhongruan solo
 * 《心旷神怡》, zhongruan solo

Some of Ning Yong's compositions for the ruan:

 * 《拍鼓翔龙》 Flying Dragons in Drum Beats, zhongruan solo (composed with Lin Jiliang)
 * 《丝路驼铃》 Camel Bells on the Silk Road, zhongruan/ daruan solo
 * 《篮关雪》 Snow at Lan Guan, zhongruan solo
 * 《终南古韵》 Ancient Tune of Zhongnan, zhongruan/ daruan solo
 * 《望秦川》 zhongruan solo

Notable players and composers

 * Cui Jun Miao (崔军淼)
 * Ding Xiaoyan (丁晓燕)
 * Fei Jian Rong(费剑蓉)
 * Feng Mantian (冯满天)
 * Lin Jiliang (林吉良)
 * Liu Bo (刘波)
 * Liu Xing (刘星)
 * Miao Xiaoyun (苗晓芸)
 * Ning Yong (宁勇)
 * NiNi Music
 * Ruan Shi Chun (阮仕春)
 * Shen Fei (沈非)
 * Su Handa (苏涵达)
 * Tan Su-Min, Clara(陈素敏)
 * Wang Zhong Bing (王仲丙)
 * Wei Wei(魏蔚)
 * Wei Yuru (魏育茹)
 * Wu Qiang (吴强)
 * Xu Yang (徐阳)
 * Zhang Rong Hui (张蓉晖)

Beijing

 * Xinghai (星海)

Shanghai

 * Dunhuang (敦煌)

Suzhou

 * Huqiu (虎丘)

More information

 * Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove
 * Ruan at MelodyofChina.com
 * An introduction to the ruan on the Chinese Culture Channel in traditional Chinese
 * Ruan Yahoo Group
 * Ruan photographs (fifth, sixth, and seventh rows)

Listening

 * Audio of zhongruan

Ruan (instrumento)

title: Ruan (instrument)


text:
John B. Magruder

John Bankhead Magruder (May 1, 1807 – February 18, 1871) often referred to as "Prince John Magruder", was an American and Confederate military officer. A graduate of West Point, Magruder served with distinction during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848) and was a prominent Confederate Army general during the American Civil War (1861–1865). As a major general, he received recognition for delaying the advance of Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac, during the 1862 Peninsula Campaign, as well as recapturing Galveston, Texas the following year.

When the Civil War began in 1861, Magruder left the Union Army to accept a commission in the Confederacy. As commander of the Army of the Peninsula, he fortified the Virginia Peninsula and won the Battle of Big Bethel. In the Peninsula Campaign, he stalled McClellan's Army of the Potomac outside Yorktown, allowing Maj. Gen. Joseph E. Johnston to arrive with reinforcements, organize a retreat, and defend the Confederate capital, Richmond. Magruder was criticized for his leadership in battles at Savage's Station and Malvern Hill during the Seven Days Battles. He spent the remainder of the war administering the District of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona and the Department of Arkansas; in his tenure, Magruder lifted the naval blockade over Galveston and recaptured the city in 1863.

After surrendering the Trans-Mississippi Department in June 1865, Magruder fled to Mexico. He worked in an administrative role under Emperor Maximillian I before returning to the United States in 1867. In 1869, he embarked on a lecture tour, speaking on the Mexican monarchy. Magruder died in Houston in 1871.

Early life and career
John Bankhead Magruder was born in Port Royal, Virginia, on May 1, 1807 He was the fifth child of ten, eight of whom lived past infancy. Magruder's father Thomas was from a family of Scottish plantation owners; on June 22, 1797, he married Elizabeth Bankhead, the eldest daughter of "noted millers" in Albemarle County. Thomas Magruder was an attorney and practiced in the Chancery Court of Fredericksburg, but he was negligent in his duties and a constant debtor. By 1820, he lost ownership of all his slaves, and his homestead was sold at public auction five years later. Thomas was eventually reduced to living on Elizabeth's property in Aberfoyle with his daughter Isabella, while his wife lived with their son Allan in Albemarle County.

Magruder was not interested in the law but loved the idea of soldiering. His uncle James Bankhead, a military officer during the War of 1812, is assumed to have instilled in Magruder a fascination with combat, in large part because of the war stories that he and Colonel James Bankhead – Magruder's American Revolutionary War veteran grandfather – told. In 1825, on letters of recommendation from his father, uncle, and Virginian congressman Robert S. Garnett, Magruder was notified of his appointment to West Point where he was to report a year later. He spent one semester at the University of Virginia in the interim.

At West Point, Magruder was a hyperactive and ambitious cadet who was often at odds with superintendent Sylvanus Thayer's regulations. His closest friends were William N. Pendleton and Alexander J. Swift; the former was later a Confederate officer and the latter distinguished himself as top of Magruder's class. He graduated in 1830, fifteenth in his class of 42 cadets, and was commissioned as a brevet second lieutenant in the 7th Infantry Regiment.

Magruder spent most of his furlough in the company of 20 year-old Henrietta von Kapff (March 27, 1810 – January 1, 1884), the wealthy daughter of businessman Johann von Kapff. The couple soon began a romance and married on May 18, 1831. They had three children; Isabella (1833 – July 20, 1869); Katherine Elizabeth (1836 – April 26, 1896); and Henry R. (1841 – January 31, 1907).

His family occasionally traveled with Magruder during his various assignments but, because of the unfavorable conditions in the various remote locales, Henrietta found it more practical to live in Baltimore where she could raise their children and stay close to her business interests. Thereafter, Magruder infrequently spent time with his family; he last saw them as he tended to Isabella during an illness that led to her death in 1869. Despite his absences, close family friends noted that Henrietta remained "in love with [her husband] to an uncommon degree".

U.S. Army career
On a request to the United States Department of War, Magruder arranged a transfer to the 1st Artillery with Albert Miller Lea, a correspondent from West Point, to stay close to Henrietta. Biographer Thomas M. Settles described the lieutenant as a great favorite among his men—"always charming, frivolous at times, but intelligent and obviously well read". Known as "Prince John", a resplendently uniformed man with a theatrical manner, Magruder attained a reputation for his social grace and etiquette.

The 1830s for Magruder, however, were largely regulated to garrison duty in North Carolina, Maryland, and Florida; the uneventful aspects of these assignments granted him time to study law and pass the bar examination. By 1844, Magruder, working as a recruitment officer, was dissatisfied with military service. The adverse northern climate found at his latest post, the Hancock Barracks in Maine, contributed to a bronchial infection, he had seen no military action, and felt slighted by the lack of recognition for organizing crucial supplies during the Second Seminole War.

In August 1845, Magruder volunteered for assignment in Corpus Christi, Texas, to join General Zachary Taylor's army there, occupying the former republic; the US was on the verge of war with Mexico over the question of annexation. After hostilities opened on April 25, 1846, Magruder first saw combat at the Battle of Palo Alto, 14 days later. On April 18, 1847, Magruder served with "zeal and ability", in General Winfield Scott's expedition, under heavy fire and turned Mexican artillery against them at Cerro Gordo, for which he was praised by his superiors and brevetted to major.

By September 12, US forces had begun targeting Chapultepec, in one of a series of engagements in the Battle of Mexico City. Magruder—lightly wounded—ordered the first shots in the early morning on the 13th and offered pursuit, despite superior Mexican numbers, to capture the Anzures, Veronica, and Belen intersection—a crucial crossroads that would block efforts by General Santa Anna to relieve the palace.

From the conflict in Mexico, Magruder learned the value of deceiving and flanking forces outnumbering his own. He also saw the war as demonstrating "the science of artillery is continually advancing", and submitted a detailed plan for separating the light artillery from "ordnance, field, and sea coast artillery"—in theory, "resulting in an enlightened division of labor" and specialization; however, in a post-war cost-cutting decision, the War Department rejected the proposal and ordered Magruder's men to serve as foot soldiers.

In 1850, Magruder was assigned to command the post in San Diego, California, where for a time he was also "a land speculator, lawyer, saloon owner, railroad president, and one of California's most celebrated duelists". In the late 1850s Magruder took Rancho Jamacha from Apolinaria Lorenzana. Years later in May 1857, while stationed at Fort Adams, his company was remounted as a light artillery battery. Historian Edward A. Pollard noted that Magruder was recognized as one of the lead artillerists in the army: "It was in the rapid and effective management of field-pieces, and the combinations with which they were applied to accomplish immediate and important results, that his genius shone"; Magruder's experience helped him convince the War Department in 1860 to accept a revised version of his logistics plan, and fund an expedition to observe European artillery tactics.

Civil War
At the onset of the Civil War Magruder was posted in Washington, D.C.—on the side of the Union. However, Magruder, whose loyalties were with his home state of Virginia, resigned his commission in the army four days after the state seceded on April 17, 1861, to join the Confederate States of America (CSA); subsequently, Governor John Letcher appointed him to colonel in the Confederate Army. His superiors—perhaps impressed by his detailed inventory of Richmond's defenses—placed Magruder in command of forces, soon officially termed the Army of the Peninsula, on the Virginia Peninsula, east of Richmond where the city seemed most vulnerable to Union attack.

Immediately after establishing his headquarters at Yorktown, Magruder surveyed the region and found the circumstances favorable: the marshy terrain, dense undergrowth, and watercourses led him to surmise that a successful defense of the Peninsula was plausible. He ordered the construction of three fortified lines to counter mounting Union forces under the command of Maj. Gen. Benjamin Franklin Butler at Fort Monroe.

On May 27, Butler sent a force 8 miles (13 km) north to occupy the lightly defended town of Newport News, and expanded Camp Hamilton, established in the adjacent town of Hampton. Magruder, seeking to delay his opponent while awaiting men and supplies, prepared a well-defended advanced outpost at Big and Little Bethel just 8 miles (13 km) from Union camp at Newport News to goad Butler into a premature attack; Butler complied and suffered a defeat in the Battle of Big Bethel on June 10. Civilian intelligence reports and a friendly fire incident during the night exposed the position of Butler's troops whose initial advance and subsequent thrusts were thwarted despite a Confederate disadvantage of manpower.

The praise for Magruder following Big Bethel far superseded its tactical importance but it nonetheless had a profound psychological impact. His victory reaffirmed the belief of many southerners in the Confederate cause, and Civil War historian Douglas Southall Freeman wrote Magruder was one of its earliest heroes—"second only to Beauregard in the esteem of the Confederacy" prior to the Seven Days Battles. By August 1861, he rose to the rank of major general.

Defending the peninsula

The victory of the Confederates at the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861, had paralyzed Union forces there for the remainder of the year, and presented the Confederate government time to consolidate its manpower. With the new year, preparations for the Union campaign of 1862 were urged forward by the Federal government, impatient for an advance on Richmond. Following the withdrawal of the Army of Northern Virginia, under Maj. Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, south of the Rappahannock River, Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan revised plans for the spring offensive. As part of his Peninsula Campaign, McClellan ordered his army—the Army of the Potomac—to disembark for Fort Monroe from Alexandria, Virginia, and Annapolis, Maryland, on March 17, 1862. McClellan sought to turn on Johnston's position and advance toward Richmond before the Confederates could readily defend their capital.

As McClellan's plans were gradually revealed to the Confederates, the mass of Johnston's army was ordered to the Peninsula by early April. Magruder's Army of the Peninsula—about 13,600 men—was tasked with delaying McClellan's 121,500-man force. Finding that his advanced line required more force than was at his command, Magruder fell back behind the Warwick River to his secondary position, the Warwick Line. He described his position:

"Yorktown and redoubts Nos. 4 and 5, united by long curtains and flanked by rifle-pits, form the left of the line, until at the commencement of the military road it reaches the Warwick River, here a sluggish and boggy stream, twenty or thirty yards wide, and running a dense wood fringes by swamps. Along this river are five dams–one at Wynne's Mill, one at Lee's Mill, and three constructed by myself. The effect of these dams is to back up the water along the course of the river, so that for nearly three fourths of its distance its passage is impractical."

Two garrisons, amounting to 6,000 men, were stationed at Gloucester Point and Mulberry Island with heavy artillery to block Union passage of the York and James Rivers.

The Army of the Potomac marched forward with four divisions and cavalry—about 58,000 men—in two columns under Brigadier Generals Samuel Heintzelman and Erasmus Keyes on April 4. The following day, downpours bogged down the march. As Union forces emerged from patches of woods on Magruder's right flank and towards Lee's Mill, artillery and rifle fire erupted to repel Keyes's advance. Heintzelman was also brought to a halt by Yorktown's defensive works. Magruder's tactics—the constant marching of his forces and sporadic artillery barrages—created the illusion of a much larger military presence and persuaded McClellan to call for a siege of Yorktown. His only attempt to break Magruder's line, at Dam No. One on April 16, was repelled after the 3rd Vermont Infantry briefly held rifle-pits on the West side of the Warwick.

A day later, Johnston arrived and superseded Magruder in command; reinforcements increased the Confederates' presence on the Peninsula to 56,600 men. By April 27, Johnston learned that the Union's batteries would be prepared in five or six days, and he therefore elected to withdraw for Richmond, much to Magruder's disappointment. The retreat on the night of May 3 came at a high cost—Johnston was forced to leave behind artillery pieces and ammunition.

Williamsburg and Seven Pines
Magruder led his 17,300-man division in retreat on Lee's Mill Road toward Williamsburg. On arrival, he received a leave of absence from Johnston to seek medical treatment at Westover; Maj. Gen. David Rumph Jones replaced Magruder in command. At Magruder's instruction, an earthen redoubt—pridefully named Fort Magruder—was constructed in the winter of 1861 to defend the junction of the Yorktown and Lee's Mill roads in front of Williamsburg. Thirteen smaller redoubts also extended from Queen's Creek to the north and College Creek in the south. The Union artillerist Charles S. Wainwright termed the location a "very ugly place to attack", a sentiment shared by many officers.

In his memoirs, President Jefferson Davis wrote Magruder's absence from the Battle of Williamsburg on May 5 was regrettable, "as it appears that the positions of the redoubts he had constructed were not all known to the commanding General [Johnston], and some of them being unoccupied were seized by the enemy". Nonetheless, the results of the engagement were advantageous to the Confederates. By checking the Union's pursuit at Williamsburg, Johnston's retreat from the Peninsula continued without molestation.

Magruder rejoined his men at Bottom's Bridge, 12 miles east of Richmond, on May 9 and reassumed command from Jones. His division, as well as others in the Army of Northern Virginia, was ordered to retreat on May 15 southwest across the Chickahominy River in preparation for the defense of Richmond. On May 31, Johnston massed the divisions of Major Generals James Longstreet, D. H. Hill, and Benjamin Huger as part of a bold offensive toward Seven Pines, which aimed at isolating two Union corps south of the Chickahominy and overwhelming them. Magruder's men, held in reserve, guarded the main force's left flank yet saw no action during the two-day battle. Despite inflicting heavy casualties in the first day, "the opportunity was lost by hesitation and disjointed action", resulting in another inconclusive battle.

The Seven Days
After Johnston suffered a chest wound on May 31, the command of the Army of Northern Virginia fell to Maj. Gen. G. W. Smith. A day later, Smith too was relieved of the position by President Davis who then appointed General Robert E. Lee. Lee hastened forward his plans for an attack on McClellan's right flank, finding his left heavily fortified following Seven Pines and "injudicious, if not impracticable" for an assault. Lee's objectives—by assuming the offensive—were to avoid allowing Richmond to fall under siege and to turn on Brig. Gen. Fitz John Porter's Fifth Corps near Mechanicsville, forcing McClellan to defend his supply lines and communications. Simultaneously, Magruder and Huger guarded the capital from Union forces south of the Chickahominy.

Though McClellan's subordinates urged for reinforcements north of the Chickahominy following the Battle of Mechanicsville, McClellan was alarmed by threatening troop movements organized by Magruder, who revived the tactics that deceived Union forces at Yorktown. On June 27, while the Battle of Gaines's Mill was occurring north of the Chickahominy, Magruder directed the brigade of Brig. Gen. Robert Toombs to conduct reconnaissance at James Garnett farm. A minor skirmish, on Toombs's orders, resulted at dusk with Brig. Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock's forces. In consequence of confusion of commands, only two regiments engaged, and Magruder countermanded the attack as soon as he was informed.

Lee, having ascertained by the night of June 28 that McClellan was in retreat, ordered Magruder the next day in immediate pursuit along the Williamsburg Road and York River Railroad. Magruder played a passive role, having been informed by Lee that Jackson would help "push the pursuit vigorously". Without Jackson or reinforcements from Huger, Magruder cautiously engaged at Savage's Station with the Union's rear guard, "satisfied just to maintain the fight and position" against a force that outnumbered his own nearly 2-to-1, and concluded fighting with no significant outcome. Late that evening Lee reprimanded him: "I regret very much that you made so little progress today in the pursuit of the enemy. In order to reap the benefits of our victory the pursuit should be most vigorous. I must urge you then to press on his rear rapidly and steadily".

As the Confederates continued their pursuit on June 30, poor coordination and miscommunication cost Magruder valuable time while McClellan repositioned his troops. Magruder's division was held in reserve at Glendale. By the afternoon, he was ordered to unite with Maj. Gen. Theophilus H. Holmes who was engaging the enemy at Malvern Hill. He arrived too late—the belated orders kept Magruder out of action and exhausted his troops. In the Battle of Malvern Hill on July 1, Lee resumed the offensive and assigned Magruder, Jackson, and Huger to lead the attack. Though Jackson and Huger's forces arrived by midday, "poor guides and poorer maps" set Magruder marching in the wrong direction and delayed his arrival by three hours. He rode ahead of his forces, confused to the situation. Lee gave new orders for Magruder and his aide A. G. Dickinson took note of them: "General Lee expects you to advance rapidly. He says it is reported the enemy is getting off. Press forward your whole line ...". Thus, Magruder led charges on Malvern Hill, initially with brigades under Huger's command; he impatiently rushed his straggling men into the battle as they arrived to the field, failing to break through the Union's defensive works.

As accounts of Malvern Hill accumulated, Magruder was charged with being "under the intoxicating influence of ardent spirits", but Settles calls this claim "unsubstantiated" and "simultaneously the most damaging" to Magruder's reputation. Lee never lent support to charges of intoxication or incompetency, dispelling the threat of Magruder's recall; President Davis reassigned Magruder to command the District of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona on October 10.

District of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona
Magruder's predecessor, Paul Octave Hébert, surrendered Galveston, Texas on October 9 in the face of a Union blockade under Captain William B. Renshaw. Shortly after his arrival Magruder drew up plans with naval captain Leon Smith to recapture the city against forces that enjoyed advantages in manpower and naval superiority. On December 31, Confederate men and artillery positioned themselves to fire at enemy vessels. An artillery duel ensued and Smith's two improvised cottonclad warships— the CS Bayou City and CS Neptune—arrived at daybreak on January 1, 1863, to open a second front on the Union fleet. The Bayou City rammed and captured the USS Harriet Lane, prompting a three-hour truce to allow Renshaw to agree to terms of surrender. Renshaw, however, died while scuttling his flagship, the USS Westfield (1861), and the remainder of the fleet fled from the harbor. The unlikely victory lifted the blockade and captured two Union barques and a schooner at the cost of only 26 casualties.

With Galveston in Confederate hands, Magruder retired to his headquarters in Houston on February 13 to attend to administrative duties. He attempted unsuccessfully to revise the cotton contract system, and soldiers of the Trans-Mississippi Department suffered from lack of provisions. Magruder strenuously enforced the draft, commanders in subdistricts held dictatorial powers, and he occasionally suspended habeas corpus; commander of the Trans-Mississippi Department Edmund Kirby Smith opined that Magruder had an "utter disregard for the law".

During his tenure, east Texas was under constant threat from Union forces under Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks; Banks' failed invasion of Red River Valley in 1864 prompted an order from his superior, Ulysses S. Grant, to abandon efforts to attack the Gulf Coast. In September 1864, Magruder led the Department of Arkansas until he returned to his previous position in March 1865.

Despite Lee's surrender at Appomattox on April 9, Magruder and Smith urged their men to continue the struggle. Having exhausted all options, on June 2 the two generals signed the Canby-Buckner Convention aboard the USS Fort Jackson.

Later years
Though Confederate officers were not under threat of detainment, Magruder joined the Confederate exodus to Mexico. Magruder stayed in the country for 17 months, from July 1865 to November 1866. There, he gained audience with Emperor Maximillian I in Mexico City to negotiate the establishment of Confederate colonies. By September 17, having become a naturalized Mexican citizen, Magruder was appointed chief of the Land Office of Colonization.

In 1866, Napoleon III's troop withdrawal from Mexico crippled the monarchy. Before fleeing to Havana, Magruder appealed to Maximillian I to escape the country; the Emperor refused to abandon his followers, fell under siege in Querétaro, and was executed on June 19, 1867.

In early 1867, Magruder returned to the United States with little money and no prospects for employment. He arrived in New York City to establish a law practice, yet he was constantly on the move in the final years of his life.

In 1869, Magruder was invited to lecture in New Orleans on Mexican politics, speaking "kindly of the well-intentioned emperor [Maximillian I] and his ambitious wife and judged that they were genuinely concerned about the welfare of Mexico". A "natural at the podium", Magruder's lectures were well-attended in New Orleans, Baltimore, Galveston, and elsewhere. After a group of wealthy Texan admirers pledged to purchase him a plantation, Magruder traveled to Galveston in April 1870—to his disappointment, the offer never materialized.

Weakened by failing health, Magruder moved into the Hutchins House, a luxurious hotel in Houston.

On February 18, 1871, "Magruder, having been unwell for several days, suffering from disease of the heart, breathed his last about 3 o'clock Saturday morning at the Hutchins House". He was buried in Houston's Episcopal cemetery. Soon after his death, the citizens of Galveston formed a committee to have Magruder's remains moved to the island. On January 10, 1876, his body was reinterred in Galveston's Episcopal cemetery and a monument was erected there in 1894.

Legacy
The third highest-ranking officer in the Army of the Northern Virginia, Magruder never published any memoirs. He cultivated a flamboyant, distinctive image and personality in the belief that it would inspire his troops. His affinity for pomp and showmanship often became a topic of discussion among his men and wings of the officer corps. Likewise, his extravagant social life led to many, largely unfounded, rumors of drunkenness on duty. As a leader, Magruder was an "experienced artillery officer of shrewd intelligence", developed an ability to deliver charismatic speeches, and was quick to credit his men for his successes.

At a time when Richmond was vulnerable to attack, Magruder's command of the Army of the Peninsula in April and May 1862 was, according to Settles, his "greatest contribution to the Confederacy". Later, as he reflected in his 1874 book Narrative of Military Operations, Johnston wrote Magruder's efforts on the Virginia Peninsula "saved Richmond and gave the Confederate government time to swell that officer's handful to an army".

In nineteenth century assessments of Confederate leadership, it was frequently asserted that Magruder's poor field command during the Seven Days campaign cost the Confederacy a decisive victory—particularly at Malvern Hill—or even that Magruder's judgement allowed McClellan's army to escape. According to historian Stephen W. Sears, however, Magruder's "peculiar talent for accomplishing what he did in the trench lines at Yorktown"—a talent which "probably none other army's generals had"—contributed greatly to delivering Richmond from siege.

title: John B. Magruder


text:
Proximity space

In topology, a proximity space, also called a nearness space, is an axiomatization of the intuitive notion of "nearness" that hold set-to-set, as opposed to the better known point-to-set notion that characterize topological spaces.

The concept was described by but ignored at the time. It was rediscovered and axiomatized by V. A. Efremovič in 1934 under the name of infinitesimal space, but not published until 1951. In the interim, discovered a version of the same concept under the name of separation space.

Definition
A $$(X, \delta)$$ is a set $$X$$ with a relation $$\delta$$ between subsets of $$X$$ satisfying the following properties:

For all subsets $$A, B, C \subseteq X$$ Proximity without the first axiom is called (but then Axioms 2 and 4 must be stated in a two-sided fashion).
 * 1) $$A \;\delta\; B$$ implies $$B \;\delta\; A$$
 * 2) $$A \;\delta\; B$$ implies $$A \neq \varnothing$$
 * 3) $$A \cap B \neq \varnothing$$ implies $$A \;\delta\; B$$
 * 4) $$A \;\delta\; (B \cup C)$$ implies ($$A \;\delta\; B$$ or $$A \;\delta\; C$$)
 * 5) (For all $$E,$$ $$A \;\delta\; E$$ or $$B \;\delta\; (X \setminus E)$$) implies $$A \;\delta\; B$$

If $$A \;\delta\; B$$ we say $$A$$ is near $$B$$ or $$A$$ and $$B$$ are ; otherwise we say $$A$$ and $$B$$ are. We say $$B$$ is a or  of $$A,$$ written $$A \ll B,$$ if and only if $$A$$ and $$X \setminus B$$ are apart.

The main properties of this set neighborhood relation, listed below, provide an alternative axiomatic characterization of proximity spaces.

For all subsets $$A, B, C, D \subseteq X$$
 * 1) $$X \ll X$$
 * 2) $$A \ll B$$ implies $$A \subseteq B$$
 * 3) $$A \subseteq B \ll C \subseteq D$$ implies $$A \ll D$$
 * 4) ($$A \ll B$$ and $$A \ll C$$) implies $$A \ll B \cap C$$
 * 5) $$A \ll B$$ implies $$X \setminus B \ll X \setminus A$$
 * 6) $$A \ll B$$ implies that there exists some $$E$$ such that $$A \ll E \ll B.$$

A proximity space is called if $$\{ x \} \;\delta\; \{ y \}$$implies $$x = y.$$

A or  is one that preserves nearness, that is, given $$f : (X, \delta) \to \left(X^*, \delta^*\right),$$ if $$A \;\delta\; B$$ in $$X,$$ then $$f[A] \;\delta^*\; f[B]$$ in $$X^*.$$ Equivalently, a map is proximal if the inverse map preserves proximal neighborhoodness. In the same notation, this means if $$C \ll^* D$$ holds in $$X^*,$$ then $$f^{-1}[C] \ll f^{-1}[D]$$ holds in $$X.$$

Properties
Given a proximity space, one can define a topology by letting $$A \mapsto \left\{ x : \{ x \} \;\delta\; A \right\}$$ be a Kuratowski closure operator. If the proximity space is separated, the resulting topology is Hausdorff. Proximity maps will be continuous between the induced topologies.

The resulting topology is always completely regular. This can be proven by imitating the usual proofs of Urysohn's lemma, using the last property of proximal neighborhoods to create the infinite increasing chain used in proving the lemma.

Given a compact Hausdorff space, there is a unique proximity space whose corresponding topology is the given topology: $$A$$ is near $$B$$ if and only if their closures intersect. More generally, proximities classify the compactifications of a completely regular Hausdorff space.

A uniform space $$X$$ induces a proximity relation by declaring $$A$$ is near $$B$$ if and only if $$A \times B$$ has nonempty intersection with every entourage. Uniformly continuous maps will then be proximally continuous.

title: Proximity space


text:
Sleepy Sleepers

Sleepy Sleepers (commonly known as Sliipparit in Finland) is a Finnish pop/rock/punk/comedy band founded in 1974 by its two front-men Sakke Järvenpää and Mato Valtonen in Lahti, Finland. Between 1975 and their break-up in 1990 they recorded and issued a total of 19 albums. Sakke and Mato eventually went on to form and front the internationally successful Leningrad Cowboys.

title: Sleepy Sleepers


text:
Frontage

Frontage is the boundary between a plot of land or a building and the road onto which the plot or building fronts. Frontage may also refer to the full length of this boundary. This length is considered especially important for certain types of commercial and retail real estate, in applying zoning bylaws and property tax. In the case of contiguous buildings individual frontages are usually measured to the middle of any party wall.

In some parts of the United States, particularly New England and Montana, a frontage road is one which runs parallel to a major road or highway, and is intended primarily for local access to and egress from those properties which line it.

A "river frontage" or "ocean frontage" is the length of a plot of land that faces directly onto a river or ocean respectively. Consequently, the amount of such frontage may affect the value of the plot.

title: Frontage


text:
User talk:Antijoey

hope i am doing ok over here. started a few articles, but with no major edits...thank you, Phil for your minor edits! -- The Anti-Joey 15:14, Feb 23, 2005 (UTC)

title: User talk:Antijoey


text:
Talk:Mill Hill East tube station

History
The history paragraph needs some further work. If the station opened in the 1860s, clearly it was originally a steam railway station; we need to name the railway. Also did the branch terminate here in steam days, or did it originally run all the way to Edgware, and it was only the re-extension there as an Underground line that failed to materialise. I'm sure I knew all this once upon a time, but I cannot lay my hands on the right books just now. -- Chris j wood 15:16, 23 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Yes, the line ran from Moorgate to Highgate, where it branched to Alexandria Palace. The main line then ran on to Finchley central, where it split for High Barnet and the old Edgware station (via "Mill Hill the Hale", sited adjacent to the current Mill Hill Broadway mainline station), which was slightly west of the current station (underneath Sainsbury's car park, mostly). The line was originally something along the lines of the "London and City Railway" I think, though in the post-WW1 reorganisation it became part of the London and North Eastern Railway (LNER), which it remained under the jurisdiction of until the electrification or closure of the various sections. The line to Edgware was well over a hundred years old when LU eventually pulled up the tracks in ~1954 and left the route to rot. What a waste.

I agree that it was a waste but I think the line was still extant at least until 1964 - albeit only used for freight and "enthusiasts" trains.

Outer Circle?
'The work on the line from Mill Hill East to Edgware was left incomplete and after the war the proposal to electrify the line and incorporate it into the Underground system was abandoned.'
 * Is it true that this was meant to be the beginning of the long-promised 'Outer Circle' line of the Underground? Valetude (talk) 17:16, 1 August 2014 (UTC)
 * Not as far as I know. There was an Outer Circle service, but the closest that it got to Edgware was in the West Hampstead/Finchley Road/Gospel Oak area. -- Red rose64 (talk) 17:49, 1 August 2014 (UTC)

title: Talk:Mill Hill East tube station


text:
User:Opusaug

Opusaug is an infrequent editor of Wikipedia entries, with specialized knowledge of computer technology, American and military history, and certain bizarre cultural traditions of the late-20th century.

The name Opusaug is a portmanteau of "Opus Augustus", which the author first used as a BBS login in the 1990's. Opus is a reference to the cartoon character of Bloom County fame, while Augustus was the name of the first true Roman Emperor. (The construction is a pun arising from the fact that the cartoon character may be an emperor penguin.) In the past, Opusaug has been chided for appearing too much like his namesake, especially when he attempts to walk on two legs in the morning hours.

title: User:Opusaug


text:
Talk:Opus the Penguin

Species
What evidence do we have that Opus is a King penguin, and not an Emperor penguin? (Not trying to pick a fight here, just wondering....) Opusaug 15:19, 23 Feb 2005 (UTC)

 * I think he might be a puffin. puffin penguin (note beaks)

 * The puffin/penguin resemblence was once pointed out in the comic, in fact. However, everyone seems to agree that Opus is indeed a penguin.  Wyvern 18:17, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

 * According to his back story he is from the Falkland Islands, the Emperor Penguins is not native to the Falklands, but the King Penguin is. Puffins are native to the Northern hemisphere only. Mediatech492 (talk) 16:17, 26 January 2013 (UTC)

Kirkpatrick
Insane as it is to suggest in an article about a cartoon penguin, the edits by 159.71.254.248 appear to be out of place. Refer to the Bill the Cat page for information about the Kirkpatrick "relationship". The teleprompter remark is (I can't believe I going to say this) senseless editorializing. Opusaug 18:19, 22 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Opus's name
Wondering if it is worth mentioning that Opus' name was derived from the Kansas Song "Magnum Opus" (see Onion interview)? 169.207.193.145 05:00, 3 October 2005 (UTC)

 * Yes, so I added it under "Trivia". — Loadmaster 18:17, 27 February 2007 (UTC)

April Fools?
The killing off Opus thing is an April Fools hoax, right?--Kento 01:32, 2 April 2007 (UTC)

 * Quoting from the April Texas Monthly article:
 * Assuming you mean the death of Opus, the strip, will that be the last we see of B. Breathed, newspaper cartoonist?
 * Opus has been in all my cartooning post Academia Waltz. I mean the death of Opus literally, as told in the comic, which means the suspension of the feature (no dates set as of yet). Newspapers may indeed fade from our lives, but childrens’ books may yet have a future.
 * Are you serious about killing off Opus in the strip?
 * Yes, but my wife would leave me, she reports. I have to factor this in.
 * Do your publisher and newspapers know this?
 * They know that all good things come to an end. I’d like to see Opus go out with George Bush, both headed into the sunset.
 * So judge for yourself. If he can stomach the backlash from his publishers and fans, not to mention his wife, it might actually be true. — Loadmaster 05:23, 2 April 2007 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Opus blue.jpg
Image:Opus blue.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images uploaded after 4 May, 2006, and lacking such an explanation will be deleted one week after they have been uploaded, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.BetacommandBot 05:57, 6 June 2007 (UTC)

Penguin Lust = allegory for homosexuality?
Really? I've read the series from the beginning and never heard this.

If it's opinion, it definitely should be deleted. If it's something that Breathed has said, it probably should be sourced. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.142.255.254 (talk) 15:44, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

 * Penguin lust being an allegory for homosexuality is opinion. It was an absurdist tool indicating the ridiculous ways that people rile themselves up and more closely parallels Red fever (communist fears) prolific during the closing days of the Cold War when this strip ran 192.155.59.82 (talk) 19:17, 17 May 2010 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified one external link on Opus the Penguin. 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/20050721000106/http://www.uclick.com/client/wpc/wpopu/ to http://www.uclick.com/client/wpc/wpopu/

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) 04:25, 4 September 2017 (UTC)

title: Talk:Opus the Penguin


text:
Kruskal–Katona theorem

In algebraic combinatorics, the Kruskal–Katona theorem gives a complete characterization of the f-vectors of abstract simplicial complexes. It includes as a special case the Erdős–Ko–Rado theorem and can be restated in terms of uniform hypergraphs. It is named after Joseph Kruskal and Gyula O. H. Katona, but has been independently discovered by several others.

Statement
Given two positive integers N and i, there is a unique way to expand N as a sum of binomial coefficients as follows:

 * $$ N=\binom{n_i}{i}+\binom{n_{i-1}}{i-1}+\ldots+\binom{n_j}{j},\quad

n_i > n_{i-1} > \ldots > n_j \geq j\geq 1. $$

This expansion can be constructed by applying the greedy algorithm: set ni to be the maximal n such that $$ N\geq \binom{n}{i}, $$ replace N with the difference, i with i − 1, and repeat until the difference becomes zero. Define

 * $$ N^{(i-1)}=\binom{n_i}{i-1}+\binom{n_{i-1}}{i-2}+\ldots+\binom{n_j}{j-1}. $$

Statement for simplicial complexes
An integral vector $$(f_0, f_1, ..., f_{d-1})$$ is the f-vector of some $$(d-1)$$-dimensional simplicial complex if and only if

 * $$ 0 \leq f_{i}^{(i)} \leq f_{i-1},\quad 1\leq i\leq d-1.$$

Statement for uniform hypergraphs
Let A be a set consisting of N distinct i-element subsets of a fixed set U ("the universe") and B be the set of all $$(i-r)$$-element subsets of the sets in A. Expand N as above. Then the cardinality of B is bounded below as follows:

 * $$ |B| \geq \binom{n_i}{i-r}+\binom{n_{i-1}}{i-r-1}+\ldots+\binom{n_j}{j-r}. $$

Lovász' simplified formulation
The following weaker but useful form is due to. Let A be a set of i-element subsets of a fixed set U ("the universe") and B be the set of all $$(i-r)$$-element subsets of the sets in A. If $$|A| = \binom{x}{i}$$ then $$|B| \geq \binom{x}{i-r}$$.

In this formulation, x need not be an integer. The value of the binomial expression is $$\binom{x}{i} = \frac{x(x-1)\dots(x-i+1)}{i!}$$.

Ingredients of the proof
For every positive i, list all i-element subsets a1 < a2 < … ai of the set N of natural numbers in the colexicographical order. For example, for i = 3, the list begins

 * $$ 123, 124, 134, 234, 125, 135, 235, 145, 245, 345, \ldots. $$

Given a vector $$f = (f_0, f_1, ..., f_{d-1})$$ with positive integer components, let Δf be the subset of the power set 2N consisting of the empty set together with the first $$f_{i-1}$$ i-element subsets of N in the list for i = 1, …, d. Then the following conditions are equivalent:

 * 1) Vector f is the f-vector of a simplicial complex Δ.
 * 2) Δf is a simplicial complex.
 * 3) $$ f_{i}^{(i)} \leq f_{i-1},\quad 1\leq i\leq d-1.$$

The difficult implication is 1 ⇒ 2.

History
The theorem is named after Joseph Kruskal and Gyula O. H. Katona, who published it in 1963 and 1968 respectively. According to, it was discovered independently by , , , , and. writes that the earliest of these references, by Schützenberger, has an incomplete proof.

title: Kruskal–Katona theorem


text:
User talk:Jkseppan

Welcome to the Wikipedia
Here are some links I thought useful:

 * Tutorial
 * Help desk
 * Foundation issues
 * Policy Library
 * Utilities
 * Cite your sources
 * Verifiability
 * Wikiquette
 * Civility
 * Conflict resolution
 * Neutral point of view
 * Pages needing attention
 * Peer review
 * Bad jokes and other deleted nonsense
 * Brilliant prose
 * Featured pictures
 * Boilerplate text
 * Current polls
 * Mailing lists
 * IRC channel

Feel free to contact me personally with any questions you might have. About, Help desk, and Village pump are also a place to go for answers to general questions. To read up on the latest wikinews, have a look at the Wikipedia Signpost.

You can sign your name by typing 4 tildes, like this: ~.

(Sam Spade | talk | contributions) 15:22, 23 Feb 2005 (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 Jks. To make sure that both of you can use all Wikimedia projects in future, we have reserved the name Jks~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 00:42, 20 March 2015 (UTC)

title: User talk:Jkseppan


text:
User talk:Matwi~enwiki

Orphaned non-free image (Image:Logo-Mediaset.PNG)
Thanks for uploading Image:Logo-Mediaset.PNG. The image description page currently specifies that the image is non-free and may only be used on Wikipedia under a claim of fair use. However, the image is currently orphaned, meaning that it is not used in any articles on Wikipedia. If the image was previously in an article, please go to the article and see why it was removed. You may add it back if you think that that will be useful. However, please note that images for which a replacement could be created are not acceptable for use on Wikipedia (see our policy for non-free media).

If you have uploaded other unlicensed media, please check whether they're used in any articles or not. You can find a list of 'image' pages you have edited by clicking on the "my contributions" link (it is located at the very top of any Wikipedia page when you are logged in), and then selecting "Image" from the dropdown box. Note that any non-free images not used in any articles will be deleted after seven days, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. Thank you. BetacommandBot 15:08, 28 May 2007 (UTC)

Non-free use disputed for Image:LogoUniSR-1-.gif
Thanks for uploading Image:LogoUniSR-1-.gif. However, there is a concern that the rationale you have provided for using this image under "fair use" may be invalid. Please read carefully the instructions at Non-free content and then go to the image description page and clarify why you think the image qualifies. Using one of the templates at Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If it is determined that the image does not qualify under fair use, it will be deleted within a couple of days according to our Criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.BetacommandBot 06:13, 6 June 2007 (UTC)

Orphaned non-free media (Image:Loghi SR - Milano.PNG)
Thanks for uploading Image:Loghi SR - Milano.PNG. The media description page currently specifies that it is non-free and may only be used on Wikipedia under a claim of fair use. However, it is currently orphaned, meaning that it is not used in any articles on Wikipedia. If the media was previously in an article, please go to the article and see why it was removed. You may add it back if you think that that will be useful. However, please note that media for which a replacement could be created are not acceptable for use on Wikipedia (see our policy for non-free media).

If you have uploaded other unlicensed media, please check whether they're used in any articles or not. You can find a list of 'image' pages you have edited by clicking on the "my contributions" link (it is located at the very top of any Wikipedia page when you are logged in), and then selecting "Image" from the dropdown box. Note that all non-free media not used in any articles will be deleted after seven days, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. Thank you. BJBot (talk) 05:20, 18 September 2008 (UTC)

Image copyright problem with File:Loghi MSR - Milano.PNG
Thanks for uploading File:Loghi MSR - Milano.PNG. You've indicated that the image is being used under a claim of fair use, but you have not provided an adequate explanation for why it meets Wikipedia's requirements for such images. In particular, for each page the image is used on, the image must have an explanation linking to that page which explains why it needs to be used on that page. Can you please check

 * That there is a non-free use rationale on the image's description page for each article the image is used in.
 * That every article it is used on is linked to from its description page.

This is an automated notice by FairuseBot. For assistance on the image use policy, see Media copyright questions. --FairuseBot (talk) 02:52, 6 January 2009 (UTC)

File source problem with File:MXP-airport.PNG
Thanks for uploading File:MXP-airport.PNG. I noticed that the file's description page currently doesn't specify who created the content, so the copyright status is unclear. If you did not create this file yourself, you will need to specify the owner of the copyright. If you obtained it from a website, then a link to the website from which it was taken, together with a restatement of that website's terms of use of its content, is usually sufficient information. However, if the copyright holder is different from the website's publisher, their copyright should also be acknowledged.

If you have uploaded other files, consider checking that you have specified their source and tagged them, too. You can find a list of files you have uploaded by following this link. Unsourced and untagged images may be deleted one week after they have been tagged, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If the image is copyrighted under a non-free license (per Fair use) then the image will be deleted 48 hours after 16:37, 21 April 2009 (UTC). If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you. Calliopejen1 (talk) 16:37, 21 April 2009 (UTC)

Orphaned non-free image File:Loghi MSR - Milano.PNG
 Thanks for uploading File:Loghi MSR - Milano.PNG. The image description page currently specifies that the image is non-free and may only be used on Wikipedia under a claim of fair use. However, the image is currently orphaned, meaning that it is not used in any articles on Wikipedia. If the image was previously in an article, please go to the article and see why it was removed. You may add it back if you think that that will be useful. However, please note that images for which a replacement could be created are not acceptable for use on Wikipedia (see our policy for non-free media).

PLEASE NOTE:

 * I am a bot, and will therefore not be able to answer your questions.
 * I will remove the request for deletion if the file is used in an article once again.
 * If you receive this notice after the image is deleted, and you want to restore the image, click here to file an un-delete request.
 * To opt out of these bot messages, add  to your talk page.
 * If you believe the bot has made an error, please turn it off here and leave a message on my owner's talk page.

Thank you. DASHBot (talk) 05:24, 14 June 2010 (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 Matwi. To make sure that both of you can use all Wikimedia projects in future, we have reserved the name Matwi~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 01:42, 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) 16:05, 22 April 2015 (UTC)

ArbCom elections are now open!
MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 12:58, 23 November 2015 (UTC)

title: User talk:Matwi~enwiki


text:
User talk:Reflex Reaction

 * Archive 1 (2005)
 * Archive 2 (Jan - April 2006)
 * Archive 3 (July 2006 - 2009)
 * Archive 4 (2010 - Jan 2018)

Orphaned non-free image File:The Contino Sessions.jpg
Thanks for uploading File:The Contino Sessions.jpg. The image description page currently specifies that the image is non-free and may only be used on Wikipedia under a claim of fair use. However, the image is currently not used in any articles on Wikipedia. If the image was previously in an article, please go to the article and see why it was removed. You may add it back if you think that that will be useful. However, please note that images for which a replacement could be created are not acceptable for use on Wikipedia (see our policy for non-free media).

Note that any non-free images not used in any articles will be deleted after seven days, as described in section F5 of the criteria for speedy deletion. Thank you. ShakespeareFan00 (talk) 15:21, 26 March 2018 (UTC)

Orphaned non-free image File:Oklahoma-DVDcover.jpg
Thanks for uploading File:Oklahoma-DVDcover.jpg. The image description page currently specifies that the image is non-free and may only be used on Wikipedia under a claim of fair use. However, the image is currently not used in any articles on Wikipedia. If the image was previously in an article, please go to the article and see why it was removed. You may add it back if you think that that will be useful. However, please note that images for which a replacement could be created are not acceptable for use on Wikipedia (see our policy for non-free media).

Note that any non-free images not used in any articles will be deleted after seven days, as described in section F5 of the criteria for speedy deletion. Thank you. --B-bot (talk) 17:30, 8 August 2018 (UTC)

Orphaned non-free image File:Amanda-Boston.jpg
Thanks for uploading File:Amanda-Boston.jpg. The image description page currently specifies that the image is non-free and may only be used on Wikipedia under a claim of fair use. However, the image is currently not used in any articles on Wikipedia. If the image was previously in an article, please go to the article and see why it was removed. You may add it back if you think that that will be useful. However, please note that images for which a replacement could be created are not acceptable for use on Wikipedia (see our policy for non-free media).

Note that any non-free images not used in any articles will be deleted after seven days, as described in section F5 of the criteria for speedy deletion. Thank you. --B-bot (talk) 17:25, 13 October 2018 (UTC)

"Land of the Lost (1991TV series)" listed at Redirects for discussion
An editor has identified a potential problem with the redirect Land of the Lost (1991TV series) and has thus listed it for discussion. This discussion will occur at Redirects for discussion/Log/2022 December 3 until a consensus is reached, and anyone, including you, is welcome to contribute to the discussion. Regards, SONIC 678 21:52, 3 December 2022 (UTC)

title: User talk:Reflex Reaction


text:
Lineworker

A lineworker (also called a lineman or powerline worker) constructs and maintains the electric transmission and distribution facilities that deliver electrical energy to industrial, commercial, and residential establishments. A lineworker installs, services, and emergency repairs electrical lines in the case of lightning, wind, ice storm, or ground disruptions. Whereas those who install and maintain electrical wiring inside buildings are electricians, lineworkers generally work at outdoor installations.

History
The occupation had begun in 1844 when the first telegraph wires were strung between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore carrying the famous message of Samuel Morse, "What hath God wrought?" The first telegraph station was built in Chicago in 1848, by 1861 a web of lines spanned the United States and in 1868 the first permanent telegraph cable was successfully laid across the Atlantic Ocean. Telegraph lines could be strung on trees, but wooden poles were quickly adopted as the preferred method. The term lineworker was used for those who set wooden poles and strung wire. The term continued in use with the invention of the telephone in the 1870s and the beginning of electrification in the 1890s.

This new electrical power work was more hazardous than telegraph or telephone work because of the risk of electrocution. Between the 1890s and the 1930s, line work was considered one of the most hazardous jobs. This led to the formation of labor organizations to represent the workers and advocate for their safety. This also led to the establishment of apprenticeship programs and the establishment of more stringent safety standards, starting in the late 1930s. The union movement in the United States was led by lineworker Henry Miller, who in 1890 was elected president of the Electrical Wiremen and Linemen's Union, No. 5221 of the American Federation of Labor.

United States
The rural electrification drive during the New Deal led to a wide expansion in the number of jobs in the electric power industry. Many powerline workers during that period traveled around the country following jobs as they became available in tower construction, substation construction, and wire stringing. They often lived in temporary camps set up near the project they were working on, or in boarding houses if the work was in a town or city, and relocating every few weeks or months. The occupation was lucrative at the time, but the hazards and the extensive travel limited its appeal.

A brief drive to electrify some railroads on the East Coast of the US-led to the development of specialization of powerline workers who installed and maintained catenary overhead lines. Growth in this branch of linework declined after most railroads favored diesel over electric engines for replacement of steam engines.

The occupation evolved during the 1940s and 1950s with the expansion of residential electrification. This led to an increase in the number of powerline workers needed to maintain power distribution circuits and provide emergency repairs. Maintenance powerline workers mostly stayed in one place, although sometimes they were called to travel to assist repairs. During the 1950s, some electric lines began to be installed in tunnels, expanding the scope of the work.

Duties
Powerline workers work on electrically energized (live) and de-energized (dead) power lines. They may perform several tasks associated with power lines, including installation or replacement of distribution equipment such as capacitor banks, distribution transformers on poles, insulators and fuses. These duties include the use of ropes, knots, and lifting equipment. These tasks may have to be performed with primitive manual tools where accessibility is limited. Such conditions are common in rural or mountainous areas that are inaccessible to trucks.

High voltage transmission lines can be worked live with proper setups. The lineworker must be isolated from the ground. The lineworker wears special conductive clothing that is connected to the live power line, at which point the line and the lineworker are at the same potential, allowing the lineworker to handle the wire. The lineworker may still be electrocuted if he completes an electrical circuit, for example by handling both ends of a broken conductor. Such work is often done by helicopter by specially trained powerline workers. Isolated line work is only used for transmission-level voltages and sometimes for the higher distribution voltages. Live wire work is common on low voltage distribution systems within the UK and Australia as all linesmen are trained to work 'live'. Live wire work on high voltage distribution systems within the UK and Australia is carried out by specialist teams.

Training
Becoming a lineworker usually involves starting as an apprentice and a four-year training program before becoming a "Journey Lineworker". Apprentice powerline workers are trained in all types of work from operating equipment and climbing to proper techniques and safety standards. Schools throughout the United States offer a pre-apprentice lineworker training program such as Southeast Lineman Training Center and Northwest Lineman College.

Safety
Lineworkers, especially those who deal with live electrical apparatus, use personal protective equipment (PPE) as protection against inadvertent contact. This includes rubber gloves, rubber sleeves, bucket liners, and protective blankets.

When working with energized power lines, powerline workers must use protection to eliminate any contact with the energized line. The requirements for PPEs and associated permissible voltage depends on applicable regulations in the jurisdiction as well as company policy. Voltages higher than those that can be worked using gloves are worked with special sticks known as hot-line tools or hot sticks, with which power lines can be safely handled from a distance. Powerline workers must also wear special rubber insulating gear when working with live wires to protect against any accidental contact with the wire. The buckets powerline workers sometimes work from are also insulated with fiberglass.

De-energized power lines can be hazardous as they can still be energized from another source such as interconnection or interaction with another circuit even when they appear to be shut off. For example, a higher-voltage distribution level circuit may feed several lower-voltage distribution circuits through transformers. If the higher voltage circuit is de-energized, but if lower-voltage circuits connected remain energized, the higher voltage circuit will remain energized. Another problem can arise when de-energized wires become energized through electrostatic or electromagnetic induction from energized wires nearby.

All live line work PPE must be kept clean from contaminants and regularly tested for di-electric integrity. This is done by the use of high voltage electrical testing equipment.

Other general items of PPE such as helmets are usually replaced at regular intervals.

title: Lineworker


text:
Talk:Uniform space

Definition
There was a second definition that was basically a corrupt variation of the definition of a proximity space. Although there is a close relationship between proximity and uniformity, the two are distinct notions.

 * I added the second definition thinking poximinity was the same concept as uniformity. The last few days I tried unsucessfully to prove this or find any reference. Thanks for fixing it. Can you point me to any reference on proximity space ? MathMartin 10:54, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)

 * I will be adding references to the proximity space page.--192.35.35.35 13:38, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)

The term for something satisfying the first four entourage axioms is "quasiuniformity".--192.35.35.34 15:25, 23 Feb 2005 (UTC)

 * Yes you are correct, I meant to write quasiuniformity.MathMartin 10:54, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)

 * This is in line with "quasimetric" and "quasiproximity".--192.35.35.35 13:38, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)

The Notes section, with the translation of the axioms one by one, is silly. Is there a reader who actually finds it helpful to be walked through all five translations? The result, to me, is far more confusing.--192.35.35.34 16:47, 23 Feb 2005 (UTC)

 * A one by one translation is probably not useful but generally there should be a note explaining the idea behind the definition.MathMartin 10:54, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)

 * OK, I'll be rewriting it. I wanted to be bold and just change it first, but seeing how long it has been part of the article, I didn't want to ruffle any feathers.--192.35.35.35 13:38, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Why is Steen & Seebach in the references?--192.35.35.34 16:57, 23 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * I added the reference, but it can be removed. MathMartin 10:54, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)
 * I'll be adding some more uniform space specific references.--192.35.35.35 13:38, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)

OK, I think my changes have been for the better. I plan to add material on pseudometric families, total boundedness, Cauchy completeness.--192.35.35.34 16:27, 24 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Something fishy about the entourage definition
So which is the entourage, Φ or the elements of Φ? The wording suggests that it's the elements of Φ, but then the definition of entourage imposes requirements on Φ, not just on its elements. If the elements of Φ are called entourages, what is Φ itself called? "Set of entourages" seems insufficiently specific. What if you have distinct Φ and Φ', each satisfying the axioms, and you take some elements of each to form a third set Φ3 that doesn't satisfy the axioms? Isn't it also a set of entourages? All its elements are entourages. --Trovatore 1 July 2005 01:31 (UTC)

 * Found my answer in the topology glossary, and fixed the article (probably was just a typo) --Trovatore 1 July 2005 02:02 (UTC)

Something seems still funny about this definition. It stipulates a defining relation between Φ and U such that Φ is "a nonempty collection ... of subsets U...", but then goes on to repeat "if U $$\in$$ Φ..." again and again as if the contrary could possibly be the case even though it was defined not to be. Is this just a disorganized mess or is there some implicit logic the reader is supposed to divine? Are there other objects U that are presumed to exist besides the ones that the label U was introduced to define? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.56.246.116 (talk) 18:54, 9 September 2022 (UTC)

definition of entourages of completion space
i fixed the given definition of entourages in completion space.

old: Given an entourage U on X, let { ( F/≈, F*/≈ ) : ∃A⊆F∩F*, A×A ⊆ U } be an entourage on Y.

new: Given an entourage U on X, let { ( F/≈, F*/≈ ) : ∀ G≈F, G*≈F* ∃A∈G∩G*, A×A ⊆ U } be an entourage on Y

i think the definition of the entourages of the completion space using the round filter is OK (is given later on) but is NOT equivalent to the first definition.

first i suppose it meant: Given an entourage U on X, let { ( F/≈, F*/≈ ) : ∃A∈F∩F*, A×A ⊆ U } be an entourage on Y. otherwise it makes no sense at all - but that's just type error.

this definition is wrong. for example in the real completion of rationals. let r be a real number, i take an increasing sequence of rationals converges to r and one decreasing converges to r-1. let F, F* be the smallest filters spanned by these two sequences, let U be the entourage of dist(x,y)<1, let A=[r-1,r]∩Q. then A∈F∩F* and A×A ⊆ U but it is not true that dist(r-1,r)<1. if i had chosen the smallest round filters then A∈F∩F* would be wrong (also for any other A st A×A ⊆ U).

i think it should be (which i put in there): Given an entourage U on X, let { ( F/≈, F*/≈ ) : ∀ G≈F, G*≈F* ∃A∈G∩G*, A×A ⊆ U } be an entourage on Y

or the equivalent: Given an entourage U on X, let { ( F/≈, F*/≈ ) : ∃A∈G∩G* ∀ G≈F, G*≈F* , A×A ⊆ U } be an entourage on Y

use the properties of the unique round fiter to show equivalence of my two sugestions (it is the intersection of F/≈). --itaj 21:26, 19 August 2007 (UTC)

Merge Gauge space into this article
The stub on Gauge spaces is an unnecessary separate article on one of the equivalent definitions of a uniform space. Moreover, the name does not appear to be much used. In any case, the minimal contents should be moved into this article under the third equivalent definition of uniforms space by means of pseudometrics. This subsection should also be expanded — now the pseudometric definition is given nowhere. Stca74 (talk) 11:42, 30 December 2007 (UTC)
 * Added material to Uniform space on the definition by means of pseudometrics. A further problem with the existing stub on Gauge spaces: it is not clear whether it is intended to mean a topological space the topology of which can be defined in terms of pseudometrics (in which case it is exactly the same as a uniformizable space or indeed a completely regular space) or a uniform space with a specific family of pseudometrics defining its uniformity. The latter would make more sense, which is why the proposed redirect is into the subsection on the pseudometrics definition of uniform structure. Stca74 (talk) 07:02, 2 January 2008 (UTC)
 * I totally agree with the merge. Cazort (talk) 02:22, 23 January 2008 (UTC)

Maybe this merger should be undone! Actually Gauge spaces (correct definition see for example [|the nLab entry]) are different from uniform spaces. Every gauge space defines a uniform structure and every uniform structure comes from a gauge space, that's true. Nevertheless gauge spaces have more structure: In a gauge space one can talk about bornological features (i.e. bounded sets and everything derived from that). This is also a feature of metric spaces that is lost during the metric-uniform transition, because every metric space is uniformly homeomorphic to a bounded metric space (e.g. $$d'(x,y) = \min\{d(x,y),1\}$$ or $$d''(x,y):=\frac{d(x,y)}{1+d(x,y)}$$.)

One way to clarify the distinction: The obvious functor {gauge spaces} --> {uniform spaces} has a left adjoint (assigning to each uniformity the *maximal set* of semimetrics inducing this uniformity) such that the composition {unif.} --> {gauge} --> {unif} is the identity. In this sense uniform spaces are gauge space with a special property (the set of semimetrics is saturated in a certain sense) and a uniform space is completely determined by its gauge structure. On the other hand: The composition {gauge} --> {unif} --> {gauge} is not the identity, that is: Gauge spaces are not determined by their uniform structure. 141.35.40.141 (talk) 16:10, 3 February 2015 (UTC)

 * Currently, the only mention of "gauge space" is the single sentence
 * Certain authors call spaces the topology of which is defined in terms of pseudometrics gauge spaces.
 * and that's it. The paragraph above could be, should be added in some form or another. 67.198.37.16 (talk) 08:06, 2 December 2023 (UTC)

Metrizable uniform space
By http://eom.springer.de/U/u095250.htm metrizability as uniform space is not the same as metrizability as topological space: "In particular, a metrizable topology can be generated by a non-metrizable separating uniformity."

The current Wikipedia article contains the sentences "A Hausdorff uniform space is metrizable if its uniformity can be defined by a countable family of pseudometrics. Indeed, as discussed above, such a uniformity can be defined by a single pseudometric, which is necessarily a metric if the space is Hausdorff." so it complies with the definition of metrizable uniform space in the Springer EOM. However, the word "metrizable" refers to the article "Metrizable space" which talks about metrizable topological spaces, which is misleading.

So the articles Uniform space and Metrizable space should stress the distinction between metrizable uniform space and metrizable topological space (probably separate articles should be created for metrizable topological space and and metrizable uniform space).

--Jaan Vajakas (talk) 21:58, 16 May 2010 (UTC)

Uniformizable space
The section "Uniformizable spaces" should refer to Uniformizable space. I think the proof that the topology of X is generated by C(X) should be moved to the article Uniformizable space as well. If I was not wrong in the previous comment that metrizability of uniform spaces is not the same as metrizability of topological spaces then the paragraph about metrizability should not belong to "Topology of uniform spaces" but a section of its own.--Jaan Vajakas (talk) 22:20, 16 May 2010 (UTC)

Definition of "uniform cover"
The "uniform cover"- and "star refinement"-based definition of uniform spaces does not define the concept of uniform cover itself. Neither have I been able to find it defined elsewhere on Wikipedia. Somebody knowledgeable in this field please repair this. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 109.100.71.77 (talk) 14:31, 24 February 2013 (UTC)

 * A uniform cover is any cover which satisfies the axioms laid out in that section Forty-Bot (talk) 21:15, 1 March 2019 (UTC)

title: Talk:Uniform space


text:
User talk:Troj10

Welcome to the Wikipedia
Here are some links I thought useful:

 * Tutorial
 * Help desk
 * Foundation issues
 * Policy Library
 * Utilities
 * Cite your sources
 * Verifiability
 * Wikiquette
 * Civility
 * Conflict resolution
 * Neutral point of view
 * Pages needing attention
 * Peer review
 * Bad jokes and other deleted nonsense
 * Brilliant prose
 * Featured pictures
 * Boilerplate text
 * Current polls
 * Mailing lists
 * IRC channel

Feel free to contact me personally with any questions you might have. About, Help desk, and Village pump are also a place to go for answers to general questions. To read up on the latest wikinews, have a look at the Wikipedia Signpost.

You can sign your name by typing 4 tildes, like this: ~.

(Sam Spade | talk | contributions) 15:28, 23 Feb 2005 (UTC)

title: User talk:Troj10