Saturday, August 31, 2019
Percy Jackson book report Essay
The book is funny and witty, effortlessly matching old mythology and tradition with modern culture in a way that makes the book engrossing and unpredictable. There is talk of gods having affairs with mortals, and quite a bit of married gods having affairs with other gods. In the following book report, I will first introduce the plot of the story. Then, I will talk about the writing of the author and the strengths and weaknesses of the books. After that, I will talk about the main character and other major character in the books and talk about what I have learnt after reading. At the end, I will share my overall response to the book and my recommendation. Percy Jackson, the main character, is 12 years old. He is a kid who lives with his single mother and is unsure of his dadââ¬â¢s identity. He has ADHD. He has a rep for getting in trouble. With help from his best friend Grover and his favourite teacher Mr. Brunner, he finds out that there is a perfectly good explanation for all of it, that heââ¬â¢s not a bad kid, and that he comes by everything quite naturally. He is actually a half-blood of a demigod. His father is Posiedon, God of the Seas, and Percy has some control over water. After a creepy math teacher transforms into a monster and tries to eat him, Percyââ¬â¢s friend Grover takes him to Camp Half-Blood. Soon after, he must go on a quest with Grover and Annabeth, daughter of Athena, to take back Zeusââ¬â¢s stolen lightning bolt and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods. On the basis of this short description, you can see that there are a lot of superficial similarities to the Potter books. ââ¬Å"The Lightning Thiefâ⬠is all a little Harry Potter in concept ââ¬â an orphan, with supernatural powers, who has two friends (one brainy girl and one geeky sidekick), several envious rival students. He goes to a special school and he is highly skilled at the schoolââ¬â¢s favorite sport, chariot racing. He is personally charged with a quest that, should he fail, will result in the ruin of the world. The author, Rick Riordan, spends the first half of the book exploring the nature of Camp Half-blood and the various demi-god kids, as well as dropping hints about Percyââ¬â¢s parentage. Although, given the number of times he makes water misbehave, you would think someone would have guessed. Fortunately the plot picks up about halfway through, when the whole matter of the bolt and thieving gods comes into play. I think the author has done a great job. Rick Riordan almost seems to be teasing the audience with these similarities to Harry Potter. But heââ¬â¢s having fun with it, and his style and humor are refreshing, humorous, and quite different from Rowlingââ¬â¢s. He gets to the point much faster. The action starts on page 1 and never stops! Riordan has a snappy fast-moving style, and he peppers the story with plenty of plot twists and monstrous action. And he has quite a sharp-edged sense of humor. The snarkiness is a bit annoying in the first chapter, but after that, he has produced some fun dialogue. Also, he does a good job with the concept of gods and monster surviving over the center of the western world, as well as spooking some fun at the godsââ¬â¢ behavior. For example, Dionysius whining ââ¬Å"Father loves to punish me. The first time, Prohibition. Ghastly! â⬠Besides, I found Percy rather annoying in the first couple chapters, but Riordan slowly evolves him from a rather bratty, rebellious kid to a reluctant hero. Annabeth is an excellent counterpart to Percy, smart and measured if rather haughty in attitude, while Grover is a likable little sidekick who is chewing his nails over the possibility of losing his job. And the supporting cast of gods and demigods is pretty well-drawn, especially the paternal Chiron and embittered Luke. After reading this book, I appreciate to Percyââ¬â¢s courage. Although he is only twelve, he is powerful and strong. Percy Jackson has to protect himself and also his friends from the many monsters that dared to attack him. He tries his best to prevent a war between the gods and take back Zeusââ¬â¢s stolen lightning bolt. It reminds me that we always suppose that we are too young to make some great accomplishments, but, actually, we can do it if we believe we can! Even though the book doesnââ¬â¢t express its message obviously, through reading the story, I learn that we have to know about our weakness and strength. Also, we canââ¬â¢t finish something if there are only you. Just like the book, Percy defeats all the Greek monsters and prevents the war successfully with the help and support from his friends, Grover and Annabeth. We need our friendââ¬â¢s pleased help to overcome difficulties. All in all, I was amazed at how much I enjoyed this book. The book is full of magic, and mystery, and adventure. At first, I only began to read the stories because I had watched this bookââ¬â¢s movie version at the cinema. The movie is marvelous. And to me, a book must be worth-seeing as it has to be good enough to put into a film. As I went farther along in the book, it became more exciting. I was constantly desired to read this book more and I found it hard to put down. It has so much going on. You could revolve your entire curriculum around for quite some time. I would immerse myself in completely. In fact, I was in tears at the end of the book not because the ending was depressing which went deep into my heart. It leaves the door open for more adventures from Percy Jackson. Anyway, I like this book as it has a little bit of everything: danger, heroes, villains, action, mystery, and adventure. Itââ¬â¢s funny sometimes, and scary sometimes, and powerful sometimes, and even sad sometimes, but itââ¬â¢s a story that will keep you turning the pages as fast as your eyes can read the words. It is a whole new and fun way of looking at the Greek myths. I highly recommend this book to all of you!
Friday, August 30, 2019
Limit on Sale of Second Homes
Today the South West is seen as a hotspot or retreat for all age groups. Its beautiful landscapes and popular coastline mean that many people are regularly visiting Cornwall, leading into them buying second homes. However these outsiders are pushing locals away and this is why I propose councils enforce a limit on the sale of second home properties in popular areas. With so many people interested in second homes the property market is booming and prices are continuing to increase, between 2001 and 2004 in the town of Padstow property prices rose by 144% (from Halifax survey). With this in mind locals are trying to invest in property before it becomes too expensive, yet so are outsiders who are willing and more able to pay more as they still have 10% discount on council tax. Second home owners used to only have to pay 50% of council tax yet this was then raised to 90% in order to help support local projects. This situation is having a terrible effect on local people. Higher prices and higher taxes have to be paid which some cannot afford, resulting in people having to move away from their local area in order to stay financially stable. This then leaves another home on the market that is more likely to become a second home. In the small fishing village of Port Isaac, now well known as the setting for television show Doc Martin, ITV, staggeringly 75% of the properties are second homes. This causes a number of seasonal problems. During the summer roads become busy and dangerous, beaches full, environment damagedâ⬠¦what can only be described as a mere hell for locals. ââ¬Å"I had to pay à ¯Ã ¿Ã ½4 to park in Polzeathâ⬠complained a local surfer. Also during the evenings tourist children have been a persistent problem in Polzeath. Students coming down for the summer to stay in their family or friends second homes are found congregated on the road and beach drinking, shouting and vandalising property, and this is on a nightly basis. To solve the problem nine police officers were stationed at Polzeath to patrol the evenings yet this was a waste of money and very annoying for local youths ââ¬Å"When we wanted to hang out we would have to stand in a spotlighted area that the police had allocated, just because others were causing troubleâ⬠said a teenager from Polzeath. However when winter settles in they all return north leaving towns like Port Isaac and Polzeath to appear as ââ¬Ëghost towns' . This then leaves local businesses with no option but to close up for the winter which also leaves locals unemployed and it can be very hard to find a job for the winter. As soon as winter comes the local teens are left with the town to themselves and not much to do. Most travel to Wadebridge, which is about fifteen minutes away, to work and to meet up with friends in town. Recently ââ¬Å"Tube Stationâ⬠was built in Polzeath, a half pipe for skaters of Polzeath and the surrounding area to use and also for other teens to just hang out. This is why I think a limit on the sale of second homes in popular areas should be enforced. It would help by; firstly less second homes means more local homes at affordable prices, also larger population numbers would be maintained throughout the year and furthermore businesses would be able to have a longer season and provide jobs through the winterâ⬠¦ And with all this gained we still don't loose our biggest input from tourism that helps keep our economy going. I'm not saying we stop the sale of second homes as we then would have a major fall in our economy but if we limit the number of second homes available locals will have a better lifestyle which they are entitled to and outsiders will still have the option to move here. Limiting second homes in popular areas also gives the chance to then develop housing in small areas for permanent residents but also second home owners and overall improve the economy of the South West.
Thursday, August 29, 2019
Global Warming: Causes, Consequences, Solutions Essay
Since the early days of the greenhouse debate, scientists have been interested in the impacts of global warming. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency has initiated a comprehensive on the impacts of climate change for the country. The publicââ¬â¢s increased attention to such problem is not anymore surprising as it threatens every creature with potentially devastating consequences, which has put global warming in the lime light (Silverstein et. al. , 2003p. 5; Fankhauser, 1995 p. 16). Nevertheless, attempts at a monetary quantification of these impacts ââ¬â despite being classic application of environmental economics ââ¬â have started to emerge just recently (Fankhauser, 1995 p. 16). Many scientists believe that our planet has been experiencing a warming trend over the last 200 years- and that our activities are responsible for this global warming. It started with the industrial revolution, around 1750 (Silverstein et. al. , 2003p. 5; Kursunoglu et. al. , 2001 p. 151). People began to use machines in more and more areas of life and daily functioning, from heating, to building, and manufacturing, to transportation. The machines were powered by burning fuels, such as wood, coal, oil, and natural gas (Fankhauser, 1995 p. 16; Silverstein et. al. , 2003p. 5). If these fuels burn, they emit carbon dioxide and other waste products into the atmosphere, which is the layer of air that covers our planet (Silverstein et. al. , 2003p. 5). Fossil fuels provide about 85% of the worldââ¬â¢s energy, sustaining the worldââ¬â¢s standard-of-living and providing the power for transportation. These fuels are inexpensive, transportable, safe, and relatively abundant. At the same time, their use contributes to problems such as air quality and acid rain that are being addressed through various control efforts and to the problem of global warming, which is now being considered by governments of the world (Kursunoglu et. al. , 2001 p. 151). Scope and Limitation The study involves mainly the issues of global warming in terms of its cause, consequences and solutions implicated. The study shall incorporate various theoretical explanations in order to address the subject criteria of the problem imposed. The scope of the study shall coincide mainly on the environmental issue of global warming. Mainly, the study shall scrutinize the details of the review of related literature patterned to the primary components imposed in the latter of the studies. Analysis and interpretation of data present shall involve clear and accurate depiction of the study utilizing the present and gathered data of the review of literatures. The following shall be the objectives of the study in this research paper: a. To be able to critically analyze the primary components imposed in the study, particularly the presenting phenomenon and the cause-effect relationships of global warming b. To be able to provide necessary data analysis and implication utilizing mainly the references, data gathered in review of literature and the analysis of latter studies proposed in order to provide primary depiction of the actual status of the environment in terms of global warming. Review of Related Literature Global Warming: Overview The basic principle of global warming can be understood by considering the radiation energy from the Sun that warms the Earthââ¬â¢s surface and the thermal radiation from the Earth and the atmosphere that is radiated out to space. On average, these two radiation streams must be balance. If the balance is disturbed, it can be restored by an increase in the Earthââ¬â¢s surface temperature (Houghton, 2004 p. 14). The gases nitrogen and oxygen that make up0 the bulk of the atmosphere neither absorb nor emit thermal radiation. It is the water vapor, carbon dioxide, and some other minor gases present in the atmosphere in much smaller quantities that absorb some of the thermal radiation and causing the difference of 21 degrees Celsius or so between the actual average surface temperatures on the Earth of about 15 degrees Celsius. Such blanketing condition is known as the natural greenhouse effects and the gases are known as greenhouse gases (Houghton, 2004 p. 16). The greenhouse gases are those gases in the atmosphere which, by absorbing thermal radiation emitted by the Earthââ¬â¢s surface, have blanketing effect upon it. The most important of the greenhouse gases is water vapor, but its amount in the atmosphere is not changing directly because of human activities. The important greenhouse gases that are directly influenced by human activities are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and ozone (Houghton, 2004 p. 28). Normally, carbon dioxide is present in the atmosphere in small amounts-just enough to keep temperatures on Earth at a comfortable range for our planetââ¬â¢s living things. The burning fuels, however, has been increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (Houghton, 2004 p. 28; Silverstein et. al. , 2003p. 5). So far, global warming has not been substantial, increasing the average temperature of Earth by only about 0. 6 degrees Celsius in the last century. This change is so small that some scientists argue that it is just a natural fluctuation and not a trend. Other scientists state that there is a great deal of evidence to support global warming: Summers are getting hotter and winters are getting milder, glaciers are melting, and sea levels are rising, but these signs are only the initial phase of global warming phenomena. The warming trend is expected to speed up and produce even greater effects (Silverstein et. al. , 2003 p. 6). Warming did not occur evenly around the world, and some scientists wondered whether the changes in observed temperature might simply be a result of the growth of cities near weather stations. Urban areas form heat islands; pavement and rooftops absorb more heat than soils and plant leaves, so cities have warmer climates than rural areas. Climatologists admit they do not fully understand Earthââ¬â¢s climate system. For decades, however, they have agreed that signs of global warming would be most noticeable in cold regions (Pringle, 2001 p. 17; Silverstein et. al. , 2003 p. 6) ââ¬â particularly in the Northern Hemisphere, because it holds less heat-absorbing ocean water than the Southern Hemisphere. Scientists have predicted that areas such as Alaska, Canada, and Northern Russia would harm more than Earth as a whole (Pringle, 2001 p. 17). Historical Overview: Development of Agencies and Organizations It has been known for about 175 years that the presence in the atmosphere of ââ¬Å"greenhouse gasesâ⬠such as carbon dioxide that absorb in the infrared part of the spectrum leads to a warming of the Earthââ¬â¢s surface through the greenhouse effects. The first quantitative calculations were made by the Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius in 1896. In the 1960s, Charles Keeling and his colleagues began a regular series of accurate observations of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration from the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii. Such studies showed increasing values as a result of human activities, mainly the burning of fossil fuels (Hester and Harrison, 2002 p. 1; (Fankhauser, 1995 p. 16). By the 1980s, as the rate of increase of carbon dioxide concentration became larger, the possible impact on the global climate became a matter of concern to politicians as well as scientists. The report of a scientific meeting held at Villach, Austria in 1985 under the auspices of the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) of the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU) began to alert governments and the public at large to the potential seriousness of the issue. Estimates were made that the carbon dioxide concentration could double before the end of the 21st century. In 1896, three multinational agencies, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the ICSU, who had co-sponsored the Villach conference, formed the Advisory Group of Greenhouse Gases (AGGG), a small international committee with responsibility for asserting the available scientific information about the increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and the likely impact (Hester and Harrison, 2002 p. 1). After the assembly of these well-known organizations, and formations of small groups, such as the AGGG, discoveries and widely assessments have been made regarding the issues of global warming. Private and public sectors in the United States and Europe have gathered (Fankhauser, 1995 p. 27), including those from other nations such as Japan, South Korea, etc. , in order assess possible etiologies, evaluate impending causes and provide critical support-based solutions (Hester and Harrison, 2002 p. 1). Measurements of Global Warming Even a few years ago, the acceptance of global warming was not as widespread as it is today. Global warming is difficult to prove as temperature records do no go back very far. Furthermore, the old records are primarily land based, are not representative of large areas of the world, are mostly from urban areas, and are not always collected with precision. Existing records, however, were collated, processed and standardized by P. D Jones and T. M. L Wrigley (1990), and their formulation of standardized data indicates a slow warming trend since the last century with occasional periods of cooling (Hester and Harrison, 2002 p. 1; Gupta, 1998 p. 86). The deviations from the general trend may occur due to three reasons: sunspot cycles; volcanic eruptions producing large quantities of fine ash in the air; the occurrence of El Nino Southern Oscillation. Correcting for all such factors, Jones and Wrigley estimated that the earth has become 0. 5 degrees Kelvin warmer since the 1880s (Gupta, 1998 p. 86). Evidence of global warming also come from other sources. In recent years, glaciers on mountains, particularly tropical mountains, have melted faster than before. The temperature of the top hundred metres of sea water off the coast of California shows an increase of 0. 8 degrees Kelvin over the last forty years. The data from the ice cores of Antarctica also indicate a warming trend (Fankhauser, 1995 p. 16; Gupta, 1998 p. 86). These cores through the ice indicate snowfalls of number of years in sequence, which later has turned into ice. As this happens, tiny air bubbles trapped in the ice, and these bubbles can be investigated to determine the composition of the air at the time of the snowfall and also the temperature. The latter is determined by examining the ration of the two oxygen isotopes, 16O and 18O 9 (Fankhauser, 1995 p. 16; Gupta, 1998 p. 86; Houghton, 2004 p. 28). The ratios reflect the ambient global temperature. A number of very hot years, in fact eight of the hottest on record, happened between 1980 and 1992. Apart from indicating the trend, this put global warming in publicââ¬â¢s attention. Etiologies of Global Warming Currently, there are three theories about the cause of global warming; however, most of the scientists believe that the cause is an increase of greenhouse gases. Svante Arrhenius of Sweden in 1895 demonstrated the linkage between carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and temperature (Gupta,1998 p. 86). Carbon dioxide is the prime etiology involved in global warming causation. In fact, without any carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the earth would be much colder place to live. The global mean temperature would be below 0 degrees Celsius instead of being close to a comfortable 14 degrees Celsius. Most carbon dioxide comes from the decomposition of dead plants and animals, and the respiration of living animals, including humans, and plants. For thousands of years, there has been no problem with this because the oceans absorbed much of this carbon dioxide; hence, taking it out of the atmosphere. In addition, plants carrying on photosynthesis also absorbed a great deal of the atmospheric carbon dioxide (Tomera, 2001 p. 113; Gupta,1998 p. 86). However, with the advent of modernization, auto engines, power plants, industrial mills, and home and business heating systems burn coal, oil, or natural gas (Gupta, 1998 p. 86; Houghton, 2004 p. 28; Tomera, 2001 p. 113). Such accounts for 98% of the carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere, while the other 2% id due to the increased deforestation and mining (Tomera, 2001 p. 113). Another theoretical issue imposed is in the use of fossil fuels and burning materials that release CFCs. The first relatively successful calculation of how much the human use of fossil fuel could warm the planet published in a paper 1896 by Arrhenius. With the conceptual framework of carbon dioxide as the primary source of global warming, various theoretical concepts have formed. In the late 1930s, G. S. Callendar, an English chemist, argued that human activities were causing an increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide and that this might have already started global warming. Despite Callendarââ¬â¢s concern, and although the scientific community has known about the pot4ential of human-induced warming to raise the earthââ¬â¢s temperature since the early 19th century (Tomera, 2001 p. 113; Brown, 2002 p. 14), global warming received little attention from the scientific community during the first half of the twentieth century, which centered mainly on human causations of carbon dioxide increase (Brown, 2002 p. 14). In 1957, two scientists with the Scripps Institute of Oceanography, Roger Revelle and Hans Suess, found that much of the carbon dioxide emitted to the earthââ¬â¢s atmosphere is not absorbed by the oceans, as some had assumed, leaving significant amounts in the atmosphere that could eventually warm the earth (Brown, 2002 p. 14). With the current advent of environmental discovery and climatic technological advancements, there are now environmental impacts of the chemical substitutes that are now being developed by industry. These factors all into two main groups: hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), which have limited ozone depleting potential, and HCFCs, which have no ozone depleting potential. Unfortunately, both groups of chemicals are greenhouse gases, both groups of chemicals are greenhouse gases, not as powerful as the fully halogenated CFCs but nonetheless significant (Marks and Plewig, p. 13). Such causation has been linked to the issue of ozone depletion wherein HCFCs are the prime depletors, and the end outcome contributes to the global warming. Since the stratospheric ozone or ozone layer is almost depleted by stratospheric chlorine, which depends on, for example, CFC emissions. CFCs are greenhouse gases, which account for approximately 25% of the global warming effect. Freon 11 is given a global warming potential of 1, which indicates the characteristics of a major contributor. Because of the dangers proposed by CFC use, there is great commercial interest in replacing such materials with substances, which have less ozone depletion potential (Whelan, 1994p. 73).
Buddhism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3
Buddhism - Essay Example From the holy book, chapters 16ââ¬â20 are devoted to nirvana and the path to enlightenment (Buddharakkhita 6ââ¬â23). According to the teachings, the events that a person is subjected to are an outcome of the thoughts he or she has formed. Hatred should not lead to hatred, for it never causes hatred to cease but only by love. It is important to control oneââ¬â¢s senses, and not only seek controlled pleasures or be immoderate in oneââ¬â¢s food since such behavior will only cause Mara the Tempter to overthrow such person. Whether one is a monk or a householder, it is important to remove evil and sinful thoughts. Ethics seems to be a strong point in the teachings and drive home the benefits of good and sinless living, as compared to sinful living where one only has evil thoughts. The evil doer always thinks of the evil he has done, and these thoughts continue to haunt him even in his sleep, and deprive him of the simple pleasures in life since he is always thinking about ev il, retribution, and the acts that others would take on him. A person who is free from such thoughts would be free from evil intentions and subsequently be free from hatred, desire, and evil (Buddharakkhita 30ââ¬â63). According to Lord Buddha, a wise man does not pass arbitrary judgements but reaches them after deep thought. To be called an elder and not just a vain old man, one must show truthfulness, restraint, self-mastery, virtue, and inoffensive behaviour, and should be free from defilements (Buddharakkhita 64ââ¬â65). Lord Buddha also says that a person must be watchful in using his speech, control his mind and not commit evil. Lust, affection, and desire are bondages that tie a man to sin and wrongdoing, so they must be cut off. The evil embodiments are defined by craving, or the mother, self-conceit that is the father of evil desire, eternalism and nihilism that are the two warrior kings, and sense organs and objects that are the country. Once these evils are destroye d, the person is ready to be on the road to salvation. Disciples of Gotama are those who happy and non-violent, who practice mindfulness of the body, who have the qualities of the sangha, dhamma and Buddha, and those who constantly meditate (Buddharakkhita 66ââ¬â75). A wise man must come to realize that by renouncing a lesser happiness, one can achieve a greater happiness. One should avoid being entangled by bonds of hate since cancers of the mind only increase for people who are arrogant and heedless. It is important that one always be on guard since opportunity can slip by, and it is better to walk alone if the company that one finds is not made of virtuous people. The current of craving flows everywhere and includes sensual pleasure, annihilation, and continued existence. It is essential that one free himself from these cravings (Buddharakkhita 78ââ¬â87). How Do Moral Expectations of a Buddhist Monk Differ from the Morality of a Lay Buddhist? The Buddhist monk is one who has given up all worldly pleasures and seeks nirvana, or the path of salvation. The laity, or the lay Buddhist, is one who still has a family and looks after his household. While the rules for the monk are strict and need stringent self-restraint, those for the laity are more of behavioral nature. Differences are given as below. A monk must practice restraint and show extreme control in his actions and attitude. Accordingly, the monk should restrain oneself in the eye,
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Stragetic Planning Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Stragetic Planning - Case Study Example In that respect, it would be important for the mayor to convince him and seek amicable approach towards the public job cut if the proposal is to sail through. Claudia Alvaro: Is a professional in public financial management with sound knowledge on macro and micro-economic policies. This means Alvaro holds central role in evaluating and assessing the best alternative among the proposals that will be raised towards economic streamlining of central town. The pertinent issue in this case is the crumbling economy of central town as result of mass immigration of its residents. This means that the tax size has significantly reduced and can barely support the town in terms of public workers wage bill and efficient provision of essential services. The mayor is making efforts to restore economic sanity by proposing privatization with subsequent job cuts among public workers. This has drawn mixed reactions from the town with workers through their union opposing the move while the public support. Sources or causes of each problem; Privatization is seen as possible public employment cut down with considerable economic loss to the workers and this is the point of concern. On the issue of awarding tender, the mayor seeks to reconcile quality with cost hence the critical evaluation process. There are potential obstacles for the central town political leadership in its effort to implement the macro-economic proposal of privatization and public job cut. The legal battle is likely to work against it since the workers union seems strong and ready to drag the authorities to court in this matter. The financial and budgetary allocation procedures require support of other political leaders who are likely to support different factions to the dispute in question. Laying off workers will paint the government on wrong side of being unethical in considering the welfare of the job cut victims. This will in turn degenerate to possible political
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
Joining and Fastening Processes (Manufacturing Engineering Processes) Term Paper
Joining and Fastening Processes (Manufacturing Engineering Processes) - Term Paper Example These engineering materials in their raw form are extracted from their ores. These raw materials from ores are transformed into molten form through refining and reducing processes. The molten material is process through molds to produce commercial or industrial castings called ingots. These ingots are then processed through rolling to transform these into billets, rods and slabs suitable for marketing. These materials then undergo various manufacturing processes to obtain useful products in diverse range of sizes, shapes and forms desired by end user. According to Singh, these manufacturing processes are classified into six major categories: primary shaping processes, secondary shaping processes, metal forming processes, joining and fastening processes, surface finishing processes and processes to change characteristics and properties of materials (17). In this report, we would be focusing on joining and fastening processes required to assemble or join different parts of a product. T he process where two or more parts of the product are put together to achieve desired shape and function is called assembly, not to be confused with joining and fastening processes. In joining, different parts of the product are joined together to obtained desired function. ... A unique advantage of this process is the focus of heat in welding area ensuring less spread of heat thus reducing welding defect like warping and buckling. In addition, this concentration of heat increases the depth of welding and increases the welding speed of the process. Arc welding process consists of a heat source, shielding and a filler metal. The heat is produced through the electrical arcing between the two metals under contact (Zeilke 4). The power source is referred to as welding machine which may be electrical or mechanical. Shielding gas, fluxes or coatings are used to prevent the welding area from surroundings during the welding process. Generally, arc welding is divided into ten main types called Carbon Arc Welding, Submerged Arc Welding, Stud Arc Welding, Gas Metal Arc Welding, Electro-slag Welding, Plasma Arc Welding, Shielded Metal Arc Welding, Atomic Hydrogen Welding, Gas Tungsten Arc Welding and Electro-gas Welding. In Carbon Arc Welding, a pure graphite rod is us ed as non-consumable electrode to generate arc for producing heat. The welding can be made without or with introduction of filler metal. It can be further classified as single or twin carbon electrode welding. In Shielded Metal Arc Welding, a flux coated electrode is used to produce arc where the flux on the coated electrode fads off due to heat. In Submerged Arc Welding Process, a bare electrode is used as consumable electrode with flux feeder tube. The arc, electrode and molten pool remain submerged under granular flux to achieve homogenous welding across the structure. In Tungsten Arc Welding, a tungsten electrode as non-consumable electrode covered by shielding of an inert gas to prevent these from surroundings is used for welding.
Monday, August 26, 2019
Marital relationship of Stanley and Stella in Streetcar Named Desire Essay
Marital relationship of Stanley and Stella in Streetcar Named Desire (film) - Essay Example Evidence can be sought in the play in that, firstly, Stanley opts to stun the evil approaches from Blanche for his wife Stella in a dramatic unfolding that nothing but reality of love can explain. It appears that Stanleyââ¬â¢s character should seemingly have allowed him to fall prey to Blancheââ¬â¢s fabrications but instead settles for a sober decision to remain faithful to his wife. This is despite the fact that Stanley sends contradictory signals of abuse and torture against his wife. It is therefore clear that evil desires fail severally when they rise against goodness. Stella cares for her husband when she talks to him softly, ââ¬Å"...where are you going...,â⬠(123HelpMe.com). Secondly, the fact that Stella manages to overcome her adversaries in the hands of her brutal husband and opts to stay in their marriage is indication of what good can achieve. It is evident that Stanley assaults severally to the extent that she runs for her safety yet she maintains her position in the relationship. Stella affords to stay in such a relationship due to the strength upright intentions have to surmount evil (Sparknotes.com). Thirdly, Stellaââ¬â¢s strong character presents her in a position to tolerate the difficulties presented to her by her husband and her sister like any strong woman would do. Stella protects her husband by rejecting any external force likely to cripple their marriage, however implicating it might be. The relationship emerges victorious in turbulent unfaithful moments since Stella chooses to forgive her unfaithful husband and allow good trample over evil. "Come to think of it-maybe you wouldnt be bad to-interfere with..." (Galloway, 1). In conclusion, it is difficult to state how Blancheââ¬â¢s and Stanleyââ¬â¢s characters feature in a romantic relationship, if not to indicate how evil can permeate into a
Sunday, August 25, 2019
Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 55
Summary - Essay Example It is argued secondly that hope is caused by merits, and therefore doesnââ¬â¢t qualify as a virtue. However, Aquinas contends that the occurrence of hope in itself is not based on merits but instead on the desire for happiness, which is virtuous. The last stated problem with hope being a virtue is the imperfect nature of hope, explained as a wish for something that is lacking. Aquinas states that while the desire is imperfect, hope is perfection in that it is reflective of faith in Godââ¬â¢s rule and influence. The second article questions if eternal happiness is indeed the object of hope. Objections include denial that humans need to hope for eternal happiness since it is a constant state of the soul, examples of hope being for things other than eternal happiness, and the suggestion that hope deals with many difficulties other than eternal happiness. The replies to these issues state that eternal happiness is veiled and thus not experienced as a constant state by humans, prayers should not be for things other than eternal happiness, and all other desires should seem small in comparison to eternal happiness. In article three, Aquinas discusses the possibility of one person wishing for the eternal happiness of another. He argues that this is not possible since hopes for another person are not acts of hope at all, but are instead acts of love. Article four investigates the lawfulness of being hopeful in another person. The authorââ¬â¢s position is that hope may be placed in a person as long as it is not believed to be virtuous hope, which is reserved for God. Discussion of the fifth article is very similar to the first. In response to arguments against the nature of hope as a theological virtue, Aquinas relates several examples that are meant to relate hope as being divinely based regardless of its superficial appearance. The distinction of hope from other theological virtues is the topic of article six. It is suggested that this
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Tourism Industry Trends Article Research Paper Essay
Tourism Industry Trends Article Research Paper - Essay Example Of this, the Taiwanese outnumber the mainlanders whose families fled from the mainland due to communist take over.Taiwan comprises of mainly, the Minnan speakers, Hakka speakers, Japanese speakers and other native languages. The Taiwan people are distinguishable from the mainlanders (Hsiau & A-chin, 2005). Taiwan has a marine tropical climate with the Northen experiencing rain throughout the year, whereas the southern experiences dry winters. Most of the population is concentrated on the west coast, which has plains and considered to be safe, unlike the east coast that has a high risk of typhoons. Taiwan experiences a wide range of cultural activities that really form the beautifulness to intermingle with the locals. They as well share several taboos with the Asian nations, making it more compatible for the Asian people to visit Taiwan in large numbers. Taiwan also offers programs like exchange of agreements with other foreign universities, teaching the Mandarine language to the foreigners as well the writing systems. Martial arts are very rampant with the majority of the visitors enjoying the art of Kung fu and other visual arts. All these practices greatly boost the tourism sector and enhance development and economical growth (Urry & John, 2003). Tourism industry is greatly booming every year as the percentage of tourists rise. According to the World Economic Forumââ¬â¢s survey, places likeTaiwan is ranked fourth in Asiaââ¬â¢s best tourist destinations implying that, its capability to handle and accommodate tourist is high and the returns are tangible. This trend is expected to rise in the future touring sector as Taiwan depicts the capability in developing sustainable tourism industry. On the same note, Taiwanââ¬â¢s security is guaranteed to make it a secure place both at night and during the day (Yates & Stephen, 1999). The success of the tourism industry has been enhanced by the government policies
Friday, August 23, 2019
Traning in business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Traning in business - Essay Example Most of the youths who joins an organization as a fresher, may not have much ideas about the organizational environments. Whatever they learned from the institutions might be the theoretical part and the practical part begins when they start their career in an organization. Training is the only option for the employers to make the fresh candidate suitable for their organization. The doââ¬â¢s and donââ¬â¢ts of the organization, organizational behavior, culture, objectives etc can be provided to the employees only through training. No knowledge can be perfect if the learner fail to update it. New knowledge is bursting from all the corners virtually in every second and without updating; the knowledge of an employee might not be enough to meet the current challenges. It is difficult for an employee to go to institutions for acquiring further knowledge because of his professional commitments. So it is necessary for the employers to train their employees properly to prepare them capable of meeting the ever changing challenges in the business world. The following diagram represents the flowchart of training in an organization. Training helps an employee to understand the business environment of the organization he is working for. Business environments can be different in different organizations. For example, business environments of Pepsi and Coke might be entirely different even thought they operate in the same soft drink manufacturing industry. In order to make the employee custom made, training is essential for each and every organization. Changes and challenges faced by different organizations might be entirely different. For example, as mentioned in the above example, the challenges faced by Pepsi might not be the same for Coke because of the different geographical locations they were operating. Even in same countries they may face different challenges. For example, Coke is accused of exploiting underwater resources more than the
Thursday, August 22, 2019
DQ1 Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
DQ1 Questions - Assignment Example A bachelorââ¬â¢s degree is the minimum requirement needed to work in the advertising industry. A masterââ¬â¢s degree opens up many opportunities for professionals in this field. The average salary of a marketing advertising executive is $67,014 (Salary). The global economic crisis of 2008-2009 affected the economy a lot. In the marketing field the impact was devastating. Massive layoffs left thousands of workers in the marketing field out of a job. The downsizing initiatives put a lot of pressure and added workload on the marketing departments of many organizations. Another variable that was affected by the recession was overall marketing spending. Cost cutting initiatives lowered the money available to spend on advertising. Customers affect the products and services provided by companies. The customer taste and preferences are two variables used by marketers in the design process of new products (Kotler). Marketing should become the responsibility of entire work staff. Word of mouth advertising and placing advertising material on employeeââ¬â¢s cars are two ways to increase employee involvement in marketing activities. ââ¬Å"Word-of-mouth advertising is important for every business, as each happy customer can steer dozens of ne w ones your wayâ⬠(Entrepreneur). The customerââ¬â¢s needs and wants can impact advertisers because that input can be use to create products that companies
The Impacts of Fast Food Essay Example for Free
The Impacts of Fast Food Essay The Impacts of Fast Food Fast food can be a cheap, quick meal, but most people do not realize what they are actually getting into. While some may say that the fast food industry has helped the world because it allows people with low incomes or not a lot of time on their hands to be able to get a fast meal, there are plenty of side effects to go along with it. The fast food industry has been developing quickly and has successfully roped in the human race. These restaurants are widely accepted because of their inexpensive food that is extremely addicting. Most people fail to see the other part of the story. In todayââ¬â¢s society, fast food seems to be at the top of everyoneââ¬â¢s meal list, but at the bottom of his or her concerns. Fast food impacts the economic, agricultural, and health fields. Some people believe that the fast food industry has no bad affects. Even though there are some positive points of it, people should start to also take notice of the negative points. The fast food industry provides jobs for lots of people throughout the world. There are more than 3. 5 million Americans who have been employed with a job in the fast food business (Peterson). This job appeals to lots of people because the employees do not have to be skilled to flip a burger or work a cash register. However, having a job at a fast food restaurant is not always a good thing. With low salaries, the economy cannot improve (Peterson). When there are so many people who have low salaries, nobody is going to be able to afford anything. Susan Peterson, a Ph. D in text theory from the University of Texas, says, ââ¬Å"People work to make money, but what if they are not making enough to get by without help from the government? Susan has a very valid point. If people are not making enough money in their fast food job, how are they going to buy material needs for them or their family? It is great that they have a job and are working to earn some money, but that is not going to solve everything. Robby Kukler, a partner at Atlanta-based 5th-group-restaurants, says, ââ¬Å"We live in a very cost-sensitive industryâ⬠(Bowman). Human dependency has played a large role in fast food. When there are so many people who consume fast food regularly, by logic, the industry is going to grow. A survey taken in the beginning of 2013 states that there are about 184, 200 fast food restaurants in America (Burks). Fast food restaurants are meant to be convenient, but when there are so many, too many people eat it too often. In the past forty years, the whole fast food industry has grown from a $6 billion revenue to a $170 billion revenue (Fast Food). Even though that seems like a large amount of time for a small growth, it is not. That is more than $4 billion per year. In 1968, there were only one thousand McDonalds in the United States. Now, there are more than thirty thousand (Cohen). With the rapid growth rate of fast food restaurants, it is just going to get easier and easier for humans to depend on fast food. While fast food affects the economy very heavily, it also impacts thousands of farms all around the country and even the world. Most people do not even know what they are eating when they are consuming fast food. In many places, there are vast amounts of corn and soybeans that become animal feed or ingredients in processed foods (Boyd). As a matter of fact, about 20 percent of the worldââ¬â¢s petroleum production goes into the production and transportation of our food (Boyd). Because of this, the food we eat does not come from around the state anymore, but from all around the country or even the world. What people now call ââ¬Å"fresh foodsâ⬠can come from anywhere. It can be shipped as close as right around the corner, but as far as 1,500 miles away (Garrison). Why would a person want to eat something in which he or she does not know the ingredients or process involved in making it? A typical hamburger contains meat from dozens or even hundreds of different cattle from all around the world (Schlosser). The meat in hamburgers and even chicken nuggets used to come from a few or ever just one cattle (Schlosser). Therefore, if only one cattle is infected with a disease or sickness, there is a good chance that the person who consumes this meat will encounter some of the disease (Schlosser). People should really start to watch what is in the food that they are eating. Most people do not know that in a typical fast food strawberry milkshake, there is a substance used to clean oil rigs (Cohen). This is just one example of people not knowing what is in their food or drink before they consume it. Farms used to be very diverse, growing corn, oats, wheat, hay, fruits, and vegetables (Boyd). To feed a population as large as this one, farming is needed. In America, McDonaldââ¬â¢s is the largest purchaser of beef, pork, and also potatoes (Cohen). McDonaldââ¬â¢s is also the second largest purchaser of chicken in the United States (Cohen). Without agriculture, the human race would go nowhere in their everyday lives. It is only because of agricultural surpluses that we, as humans, were able to develop science, literature, and all of the other things we like so much (Cohen). We also do not have to fight for survival because farming and agriculture makes it so easy to put dinner on the table and feed people so easily (Cohen). Without agriculture we would not have such an advanced world today.
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
The bullwhip effect
The bullwhip effect Erratic shifts up and down the supply chain is known as the bullwhip effect, and is one of the major difficulties in properly setting inventory levels in various parts of the supply chain (Turban, Leidner, McLean, Wetherbe, 2008). Economists call it a bullwhip because even small increases in demand can cause a big snap in the need for parts and materials further down the supply chain. It has the domino effect, because of the spontaneous demand along the supply chain. This may be an insignificant problem for any one customer, but for the supplier it is huge and costly. Some of the things that contribute to this are price fluctuation, poor demand forecast, order batching, and rationing within the supply chain (Turban, Leidner, McLean, Wetherbe, p.360). Actual demand for a product is influenced by several factors such as competition, prices, weather conditions, technological developments, and consumers general confidence. These would be considered external and unmanageable factors. There are other uncertainties involved as well that can have an effect on the supply chain such as problems in delivery time due to production machine failures. Techniques to lessen or curtail the bullwhip effect would be to understand and recognize who or what is suggesting the variations in demand. Is it the retailer, manufacturer, the customer, or the distributor? The key element to eliminating this setback is being aware of where the demand changes are beginning. Techniques that can be used or put into place to reduce the bullwhip effect is sharing information along the supply chain, Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI), and managing e-business. The most obvious way to reduce the bullwhip effect is to improve communication and forecasting along the supply chain (ehow.com). Master Data Management (MDM) is can be looked at to integrate all data in an organization at the highest level, both internally and externally. One of the most notable examples of information sharing is between large manufacturers and retailers (Turban, Leidner, McLean, Wetherbe, p.307). Inventory if properly managed, it can increase profits and efficiency. The implementation of a Vendor-Managed Inventory (VMI) initiative would be a key factor in improving and controlling the bullwhip effect. VMI indicates that the vendor, usually a distributor, maintains the inventories for manufacturer or buyer and in turn will reduce warehouse costs for suppliers. VMI alleviates uncertainty o f demand and replenishment decisions can be made according to operating needs, and also has heightened awareness of trends in demand. E-commerce brings about new opportunities to improve the performance of the supply chain. The primary advantages of internet utilization are speed, decreased costs, the potential to shorten the supply chain, and flexibility. Electronic marketplaces provide for more efficient resource allocation, better information flow and dissemination on products and services in the supply chain. Electronic data interchange (EDI) can be implemented to help supply chain mangers in reducing misleading signals sent from sales and marketing (distribution). Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is one of the most successful tools for managing supply chains. ERP is software that integrates the planning, management, and use of all sources in the entire enterprise (Turban, Leidner, McLean, Wetherbe, p.2008). The major objective is to integrate all departments and functional information flow across a company onto a single computer system that can serve all of the enterprises needs. A plan created from an SCM system that allows companies to quickly assess the impact of their actions on the entire supply chain, including customer demand, can only be done with the integration of ERP software. ERP and SCM can help alleviate the bullwhip effect across the supply chain by having a shared understanding of what needs to get done, managing the variations in the organization, communication among all thats involved especially top management, and having single control of replenishment or VMI can overcome inflated demand forecasts. Long lead times should also be reduced where it is reasonably beneficial. References: Understanding the BullWhip Effect in Supply Chains. Retrieved March 18, 2010, from http://sloanreview.mit.edu/improvisations/2010/01/27/understanding-the-bullwhip-effect-in-supply-chains/. Turban, E., Leidner, D., McLean, E., Wetherbe, J. (2008). Information technology for management: Transforming organizations in the digital economy. (6th ed.) Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley Sons. http://www.ehow.com/how_5154541_reduce-bullwhip-effect.html
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Goodrich-Rabobank Interest Rate Swap Essay -- Economics Economy Essays
Goodrich-Rabobank Interest Rate Swap 1. How large should the discount (X) be to make this an attractive deal for Rabobank? 2. How large must the annual fee (F) be to make this an attractive deal for Morgan Guaranty? 3. How small must the combination of F and X be to make this an attractive deal for B.F. Goodrich? 4. Is this an attractive deal for the savings banks? 5. Is this a deal where everyone wins? If not, who loses? Introduction: Players: Morgan Bank, Rabobank, and B.F. Goodrich, Salomon Brothers, Thrift Institutions and Saving Banks Goodrich: In early 1983, Goodrich needed $50 million to fund its ongoing financial needs. However, Goodrich was reluctant to borrow (short term debt) from its committed bank lines because of the following reasons: 1. It would lose substantial about of its remaining short term capital availability under its bank lines. 2. It would compromise its future flexibility by borrowing in the short term. Instead, it wanted to borrow for an 8 year range (or longer) at a fixed rate. However, since the general level of interest rates were pretty high, and Goodrich?s credit ratings had dropped from BBB to BBB-. Goodrich believed that it would have to pay 13% interest for a 30 year corporate debenture. Salomon Brothers had advised Goodrich that they could borrow in the US public debt market with a floating rate debt issue tied to the LIBOR, and then swap payments with Euro market bank that had raised funds in the fixed-rate Eurobond market. Note: The reason that Salomon were confident that this could be done is described as follows: 1. There was a recent deregulation of deposit markets had allowed deposit institutions to offer n... ...% - (x1+11.2%) = 1.3%-x1. 7. From (2), and (5) Rabobank saves the following amount in semiannual interest payments: LIBOR ? 1/8% - (LIBOR ?x2) = x2 ? 1/8%. 8. For this deal to occur, Rabobank, Morgan, and Goodrich must profit hence the following also must be true: a. (x1-x2)>= F where 37.5> F> 8 (footnote #2 on page 362). b. 130 ? x1> 0 i.e. 130> x1 c. X2 ? 12.5> 0 i.e. x2> 12.5 Assuming that x2 = 20 basis, and x1 = 100 basis. We can conclude the following: Goodrich pays a fixed interest of 11.2% + 1% = 12.2% a savings of 20 basis points (after transaction costs). Rabobank saves a total of 2% - 1.8% = 20 basis points. And Morgan collects 2% - 1.25% = 75 basis points in fee, in addition to the $125,000 one time fee. Note: The total savings that this deal provides as a result of the swap is: 5 + 20 + 75 = 100 basis points.
Monday, August 19, 2019
The Development of Janes Character from Passionate Child to Independen
The Development of Jane's Character from Passionate Child to Independent Woman Jane's character changes immensely throughout the course of the novel. In Victorian England, there were distinctive boundaries of social classes and I intend to study Jane's social elevation, from a destitute orphan to that of a beloved wife. When Jane was a child her parents died and she was sent to Mr Reed, her late mother's brother. "my own uncle - my mother's brother in his last moments he had required a promise of Mrs Reed that she would rear and maintain me as one of her own" Her uncle died and she was left with Mrs Reed and her three cousins who all despised her. They only looked after her because of the promise to Mr Reed. It was typical in Victorian England for an orphan to stay with relatives because if they didn't they would be sent to the workhouse. They would either be loved or despised - like in Jane's case. Jane was a spirited child who was not afraid to stand up to Mrs Reed or John Reed. She was isolated and explains how unloved and ill treated she was at Gateshead "if anyone asks me how I liked you, and how you treated me, I will tell them the very thought of you makes me sick" Jane is a brave, little girl and tells things as they are. She accepts how badly she was treated and lets Mrs Reed know this just before leaving to go to school at Lowood. When Mr Brocklehurst visited her at Gateshead, she was forceful and told him directly "Psalms are not interesting." This action was not typical of others in Victorian England, as they would not have answered so bluntly. Jane Eyre leaves Gateshead and attends Lowood School, she forms alliances with Helen Burns and Miss Temple, and she becomes a much .. ...character it helps to focus and underline the thoughts and feelings of the writer without feeling embarrassed, instead it allows the writer to get their opinions into society through another means other than themselves. However, I do not believe that the whole novel is feminist because a Victorian woman's aspiration was to marry and in the end this is what Jane ends up doing. The period when Jane is at school is when she learns to control herself and become more "Victorian", but again in contrast to this, it has been suggested that Miss Temple and Jane were more than just friends up until the point when Miss Temple got married. It seems to me that sections of the novel do point to being 'feminist', trying to get men and women on equal terms, whereas some sections are more typical in the way that they represent Jane and a more usual 'Victorian' manner.
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Great Wall Of China Report Essay example -- essays research papers fc
The Great Wall of China à à à à à The Great Wall of China is truly one of the greatest architectural achievements in recorded history. The longest structure ever built, it is about 6,700 kilometers (4,163 miles) long and made entirely by hand. This wall is said to be visible from the moon. It crosses Northern China, from the East coast to Central China (Karls, 1). This massive wall is not only one of the ancient wonders of the world, but it also has been the inspiration of many writers and artists. With a history of more than 2,000 years, some of the sections of the Great Wall are now in ruins or even entirely disappeared. However, it is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world, because of its architectural greatness and historical significance. à à à à à The Great Wall's construction began in 221 BC under the emperor Meng Tien, of the Chin Dynasty (Twitchett, 2). Continual invasions and wars from the barbarians to the North drove the emperor to order its construction to protect the newly unified China. It started at Lintao and extended to Liaotung, reaching a distance of more than 10,000 Li. After crossing the Yellow River, it wound northward, touching the Yang Mountains (Twitchett, 2). Although the wall is considered to be well under 10,000 Li (one Li is approximately a third of a mile) it was truly an amazing accomplishment (Twitchett, 2). Meng Tien employed some 300,000 men in the creation of the original section of the wall. The building of such a massive wall would definitely be a huge task. A wall that stretches through the wilderness is not easily accessed by supply lines, unlike a highway that creates its own supply line (Delahoye, 3). There was also a massive loss of lives during the construction of the wall, due to widespread disease and injury (Delahoye, 3). In fact it is an Ancient Chinese myth, that each stone in the wall stands for a life lost in the wall's construction (Delahoye, 3). It is recorded that Meng Tien's section of the wall took only ten years to build, but it is believed that it actually took a substantially greater amount of time (Delahoye, 3). After Meng Tien's original construction the wall was far from completed. Other walls were added to and encompassed within The Great Wall. The last major work on the wall was completed during the Ming Dynasty around 1500 (D... ...s last name and the number represents the source number on my bibliography. THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA By: Jeff Beland Due Date: April 26, 2004 Class: History 162 Section 1 Professor: T. Teng Assignment: Formal Paper Bibliography 1.à à à à à Karls, Robert. 10,000-li Great Wall. New York, Crabtree Publishing Company, 1958. 2.à à à à à Twitchett, Denis and Loewe, Michael. The Cambridge History of China: Volume 1. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, England, 1986; 61- 63. 3.à à à à à Delahoye, H.. Drege, J.P. Wilson, Dick. Zewen, Lou. The Great Wall. New York: Warwick Press, 1987. 4.à à à à à Ledoux, Trish. Ancient Civilizations: San Francisco, Mixx publishers, 1984. 5.à à à à à Forbes, Geraldine. Asian Studies. New York, Mifflin Company, 1993. 6.à à à à à Muyaka, Ho Chin, Huang River: New York, Penguin Publishers, 1994. 7.à à à à à Kalman, Bobbie. China the Land. New York: Crabtree Publishing Company, 1989. 8.à à à à à http://www.travelchinaguide.com/china_great_wall/ à à à à Ã
Saturday, August 17, 2019
Applied Concept Paper: Critical Thinking Structures for Business Ethics Essay
Executive Summary The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate my understanding of the previously mentioned fundamental concepts and capability in order to relate them to the actual business world through applications of my critical thinking skills. Key concepts such as ethics, social responsibility, whistle-blowers, sustainability, stakeholders, and environmental stewardship are mentioned in Chapters 3 and 4 of (Wheelen, 2012). This paper discusses recent articles regarding ethics in the Atlanta Public School Systems, a violation of the code of ethics by the former HealthSouth CFO back in 2010, and Wal-Martââ¬â¢s latest ethics controversy. In addition, this paper targets important concepts such as social responsibility, sustainability; environmental stewardship and how they affect the stakeholders of Patagonia Clothing Company, Carlportland, U.S Silica and Lucky Stone Company. These companies have proven themselves to be in the forefront of sustainability initiatives through their everyday practice s. From this research, I learned that adhering to the Code of Ethics in the business world is important on many levels. It guides all managerial decisions, creating a common framework upon which all decisions are founded. In order for companies to fully meet their social responsibility, they should have in place a process to integrate social, environmental, ethical and human rights concerns into their business operations and core strategy. Furthermore, the concept of sustainability has come to the vanguard of the global understanding that economics, environmental health and human well-being are interconnected. This ultimately demonstrates that generating high-quality products in a responsible way increases brand reputation, competitive advantage, and most importantly financial success. Abstracts * Investigation into APS Cheating Finds Unethical Behavior Across Every level This article talks about how across the Atlanta Public School system (APS), staff members worked in secret to cheat on testing results. The report accuses top district officials along with school teachers and administrators, of wrongdoing which had been happening for years. In some schools, cheating became a routine, a part of administrative duties during the annual state examinations. It grew into an organized crime of falsifying test results for children who could not score high enough to meet the districtââ¬â¢s self-imposed goals. In addition, Beverly Hall, former superintendent, and her top aides, lied to top investigators, destroyed and altered public records, tampered with information, and misled police to avoid taking responsibly for their unethical behaviors. This resulted in a culture of fear, intimidation, and retaliation in the APS. * Former Health South CFO Talks to Business Students About Wo rkplace Ethics This article discusses the ethical challenges that many CFOs face in the workplace. Aaron Beam, former HealthSouth CFO, served prison time for forging the companyââ¬â¢s finances and breaking the code of ethics. Beam warned students of the ethical dangers in todayââ¬â¢s workforce. He mentioned why accountants and CFOs get trapped into lying, and feel intimidated by their superiors. In this article, Bean touches on many important points, such as, how money changes people, how having more personal possessions does not guarantee happiness, and most importantly, how we need to stand by our principles and ethics all the time. After spending three months in the Montgomery jail, Beam learned his lesson; he wrote a book, opened a lawn service business, and decided to share his experience with business students in universities across the nation. * Wal-Martââ¬â¢s Ethics Controversy This article debates how an employee ended up jobless after following the Wal-Mart ethics guidelines. Chalace Epley Lowry started working for Wal-Mart in January of 2006, and after a few days at the job, she witnessed unethical behavior from the VP of her department. Lowry suspected that Ms. Williams, the VP of Corporate Communications might have traded inside information about the companyââ¬â¢s stock. She questioned it and filed a formal complaint with her immediate supervisor; she thought that it was the honorable thing to do. In return, her identity got disclosed to the offender, making it uncomfortable in her position since Mona Williams was effectively her boss. Also, she got a lower performance review, and when she complained, she was told to find another job. * Patagonia: Blueprint for Green Business The above article is the story of how Patagonia, an outdoor-clothing and equipment firm, and its founder, Yvon Chouinard, took his passion for the outdoors and turned into a successful business. By conducting business in a non-traditional way, Chouinard created a company with a different outdoor style that makes $270 million in yearly revenues. This organization is among one of the first in America to provide onsite daycare, as well as both maternity and paternity leave, and flextime. Patagonia reuses materials, questions growth, ignores fashion, makes goods that last, and discontinues profitable products. With a laidback atmosphere for employees, its production is at full capacity. Mr. Chouinardââ¬â¢s biggest dream is to turn Patagonia into a totally sustainable, ECO friendly company, where people enjoy coming to work, and he can sleep well at night. * Pursuing Sustainability Business Initiatives, a Large Business In this article, the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association (NSSGA) recognizes their large producersââ¬â¢ member companies, which are pursuing sustainability initiatives through their everyday practices. The first one, CalPortland Company, one of the major producers of Portland cement, has been pursuing environmental stewardship for years. The second one, Lucky Stone Company, one of the largest family-owned and operated aggregates companies in the U.S, has an excellent environmental reputation. And the third one, U.S. Silica, is a leading producer of industrial minerals which recently adopted a formal sustainability policy. This article also emphasizes what these companies have in common and highlights the benefits companies will obtain by making sustainable decisions now. Concepts Ethics is defined by the textbook as the consensually accepted standards of behavior for an occupation, a trade, or a profession. There is no worldwide standard of conduct for business people. This is especially true given the global nature of business activities. Cultural norms and values vary between countries, ethnics groups and even among geographic regions (Wheelen, 2012). A Code of ethics specifies how an organization expects its employees to behave while on the job. ââ¬Å"A code of ethics, (1) clarifies company expectations of employees conduct in various situations and (2) makes clear that the company expects its people to recognize the ethical dimensions in decisions and actions.â⬠(Wheelen, 2012). Whistle-blowers are defined by the author of the textbook as those employees who report illegal or unethical behavior on the part of others. Even though the Sarbanes-Oxley Act forbids firms from retaliating against anyone reporting unethical acts, 82% of those who uncovered fraud reported being ostracized, demoted or pressure to quit (Wheelen, 2012). The concept of Social Responsibility as it is explained in the textbook proposes that a private corporation has responsibilities towards the society that extend beyond making a profit. Many business people have agreed upon the main responsibilities of a business, which are Economic, Legal and Ethical. Being socially responsible does provide a firm a more positive overall reputation (Wheelen, 2012). Sustainability may include more than just ecological concerns and the natural environment. It can also include economic and social aspects. In the business environment, in order for a firm to be sustainable, it must be successful over a long period of time; and it must satisfy all of its economic, legal, ethical, and discretionary responsibilities (Wheelen, 2012). Stakeholders are a large group of people with interest in a business organizationââ¬â¢s activities. This group gets affected by the achievements or failures of the firmââ¬â¢s objectives (Wheelen, 2012). Some examples of Key Stakeholders are: creditors, directors, employees, government agencies, shareholders, suppliers, unions, and the community where the business operates. Environmental Stewardship refers to responsible use and protection of the natural environment through conservation and sustainable practices. Environmental stewardship defined in simple terms as ââ¬Å"dealing with manââ¬â¢s relation to land and to the animals and plants which grow upon itâ⬠(Leopold, 2013). Analysis The article about the APS unethical practices touches on one important concept: Ethics. For years the Atlanta School District produced gains on state curriculum test by cheating on studentââ¬â¢s exams. Years of misconduct took place at all levels of the organization, from the top of the chain of command to the Superintendentââ¬â¢s office. The cheating prevented many struggling students from getting the extra help they needed (Vogell, 2011). It also created an atmosphere of stress and deception among school employees. Top investigators in the case came up with three possible reasons that cheating flourished in APS. 1. The district set unrealistic goals, and pensions and raises were based on the test results. 2. Because the target test results rose every time the school reached the goal, the pressure rose. Cheating was, therefore, the only way to obtain the results. 3. The top officials refused to accept responsibility. However, I disagree with those three reasons. Just because g oals are unattainable, that does not mean we have to act unethically. Once the cheating started, it could not be stopped. It collapsed on itself, as lying usually does. If top leaders refused to take responsibility, it was their choice. We, as individuals, have to be responsible for our own actions. Teachers are responsible for helping students become better members of society; this includes teaching them good citizenship skills. There are always grey areas in professional codes of ethics because there are many areas that are subjective. Personal integrity and honesty are required by all who agree to follow a code of ethics. If an educator observes someone practicing unethical behavior, it is his/her duty to report such behavior through the proper administrative channels. In the article that talks about the former CFO of HealthSouth, Aaron Beam, he warned students about the ethical challenges that are in the workplace. I especially enjoyed this article because it touches an important subject, the code of ethics. Even the most ethically-aware professionals find their standards challenged on a daily basis . As accountants, part of the code is to represent the public interest, and sometimes that may mean putting it ahead of the companyââ¬â¢s interest. As a CFO, that duty is heightened. In addition, the first people employees look to are the CEO and CFO to see if they have a real commitment to ethics. If they behave unethically, employees are likely to do so as well. A respectable CFO must be able to stand up to his/her boss with integrity and to speak unpleasant truths when necessary. Not only can inappropriate behavior lead to compliance failures, fraud, and theft, but the consequences can adversely affect employee morale and the firmââ¬â¢s reputation. An ethical framework is built by making the right choices in the little things. ââ¬Å"Integrity is doing the right thing, even if nobody is watchingâ⬠(annonymus). In the third article about Wal-Mart, we see an employee who is following the companyââ¬â¢s code of ethics and acts as a Whistle-blower when she suspected an unethical act was committed by her department head. It is important to note that ââ¬Å"Wal-Mart prides itself on having one of the strictest and most st ringent ethics policies in the retail industryâ⬠(Gogoi, 2007). However, that was not true in this case. Instead of rewarding Ms. Lowrey for such a heroic act, her identity got exposed, and she was encouraged to find another job within the company in 90 days. She even experienced a lower performance evaluation after the incident. She felt disappointed to see the way an ethics complaint was handled by a corporation like Wal-Mart. Most of Wal-Mart scandals are perpetuated by a culture of silence. Rather than addressing the concerns that are affecting workers across the country, Wal-Mart has attempted to silence those who speak out for changes that would help the company, workers, and the community. As front line Wal-Mart workers are facing hardships, the company is making almost $16 billion a year in profits. Meanwhile, the Walton Family (heirs to the Wal-Mart fortune), are the richest family in the country. All of this has taken a toll on Wal-Martââ¬â¢s image. Some people will not shop at Wal-Mart because they do not want to support a company t hat they perceive is unfair to its workers. Reading about Patagonia got my attention, since I have purchased their outdoor products without really knowing the companyââ¬â¢s history. This unique business is conducted upside down and inside out. Decades before recycling became a common practice, Patagonia was already reusing materials. The companyââ¬â¢s founder believed in putting the Earth first, by attaining sustainable practices, while making unbelievable profits ($270 million in revenues yearly). This company would not release toxins into rivers or chase endless growth. All of Patagoniaââ¬â¢s products are produced with the highest level of quality and manufactured in the most socially responsible way. Patagonia became the first company in California to use renewable sources, like wind and solar energy, to power all its buildings and one of the first to print catalogs on recycled paper. With a payroll of 350 employees, the boss greets them by name. At the sweatshops facility, workers overlook a playground of the comp anyââ¬â¢s day care facility. The people that works there are anything but slackers: ââ¬Å"it was impressive to see how involved in sustainability their employees are,â⬠said Matt Kristle, a senior vice president of Samââ¬â¢s Club (Casey, 2007). In addition, the owners agree to keep Patagonia privately held and say no to anything that may compromise their values. Also, a good portion of the companyââ¬â¢s profits is being donated to grass roots organizations, $26 million since 1985. As a company, all of the stakeholders are really committed to doing the right thing. That is why Patagonia serves as a blueprint for future businesses that want to follow this path. In the last article I chose, there are three companies within the same industry that pursue sustainability initiatives through their everyday practices. They all agree that environmental stewardship and social responsibility can interact to increase stakeholder value as well as shareholder value, (Schlett, 2011). U.S Silica, CalPortland and Luck y Stone voluntarily assist their communities in resolving the issues that affect them. For example, CalPortland, does material donations for the City of DuPontââ¬â¢s war memorial. Lucky Stone collaborates with the James River Association to create a spawning reef for the endangered Atlantic sturgeon species. U.S. Silicaââ¬â¢s effort to protect an endangered turtle species near Pennsylvania plant is admirable, as well as helping feed local homeless people once a month. By helping their communities to resolve social issues, these companies are helping themselves by increasing brand value and reputation, improving their license to operate, and reducing their risks. Conforming to environmental laws is not enough anymore. Consequently, pursing environmental stewardship elevates an organization into the ââ¬Å"Risk Managementâ⬠category. And that, when implemented together with social responsibility initiatives for greener products and processes, moves the company into the ââ¬Å"Business and Sustainable Development.â⬠A good example of that is that all three companies have been working through their environmental management systems to go beyond compliance by implementing Best Management Practices. By encouraging a culture of environmental and social stewardship, these three large producers are at the forefront of sustainability, and as a result they are recognizing financial and sustainable success. Conclusion After carefully analyzing all the articles, I came to the conclusion that all those concepts are intrinsically related. It is important to understand that business ethics go beyond legal issues. Ethical conduct builds trust among individuals and in business relationships, which validates and promotes confidence between people. One of the principal causes of unethical behavior in organizations today is overly aggressive financial or business objectives. Abusive or intimidating behavior is another of the most common ethical problems for employees. Making ethical choices is sometimes the most difficult thing, especially when the one losing out is you or your business. Yet, for the greater good and the sake of mankind, one has to look at business as well as personal ethics and evaluate them periodically. All professions have a set of values that are the cornerstone of their belief system and the foundation of their practice. A Code of Ethics is important on many levels. It sets the ââ¬Å"tone from the topâ⬠of the companyââ¬â¢s culture. An effective Code of Ethics establishes the ethical expectations for employees and management alike and sets forth the mechanisms for enforcement and consequences of noncompliance. There are four dimensions of social responsibility: economic, legal, ethical, and voluntary, including philanthropic. Earning profits is the economic foundation of any company, and complying with the law is the next level. However, a business whose sole objective is to maximize profits is not likely to consider its social responsibility, although its activities will probably be legal. Sustainability is the balance between people and the environment. Air, water, and land are all impacted by the behavior and actions of human beings, but these impacts can be controlled. The challenge for companies in the twenty-first century is developing an environmentally responsible strategy that keeps them ahead of the game, helping them maintain an advantageous position in the marketplace. It is not enough to simply check boxes, publish a sustainability report, or reduce waste in factories. Companies must be truly innovative in terms of how they manage their relationship with the environment. Works Cited Casey, S. (2007, May 29). Patagonia: Blueprint for Green Business. Retrieved from http://cnnmoney.com. Gogoi, P. (2007, July 13). Wal-Martââ¬â¢s Latest Ethics Controversy. Retrieved from http://www.Bloomberg Businessweek. Leopold, A. (2013, January 31). Aldo Leopold Quotes. Retrieved from aldoleopold.org: http://www.aldoleopold.org/greenfire/quotes.shtml Schlett, W. (2011). Pursuing Sustainable Business Initiatives, a Large Business. Stone, Sand & Gravel Review , 44-48. Vogell, H. (2011, July 26). Investigation Into APS Cheating Finds Unethical Behavior Across Every Level. Retrieved from http://www.ajc.com. Wheelen, T. L. (2012). Strategic Management and Business Policy: Towards Global Sustainability (13th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NY: Prentice Hall.
Friday, August 16, 2019
Retail Manager
| 2012| | Triangle Tribe Recruitment| Recuritment of retail manager| | Table of contents Contents Page no.Job analysis 2, 3, 4 Job description 5 Personnel specification 6 Method of recruitment 6, 7 Advertising campaign 8, 9 Action plan with timelines 10 EEO principles 11 References 12Job analysis Job analysis focuses on what job holders are expected to do. It provides the root for a job description, which in turn influences decisions taken on recruitment, training, performance appraisal and reward systems. http://tutor2u. net/business/people/recruitment_jobanalysis. asp Three different methods used for collecting data are: 1) Interview (Mr Harry Retail manager , Myers) 0430301757 1) Tell me something about your job? My job includes what I want and it includes managing all the duties related with retailing of products and keep checking on staff so that they have to follow code of conduct. | 2) What are the main responsibilities during working hours? | Main responsibilities during work hours are to keep customers happy and solving their complaints at any costs other than this duties like Managing staff, Doing rosters, Boosting up moral level of employees, Handling sales and purchases for the store are some of my major duties. | 3) What are the main problems during work? Problems like solving customer queries and marinating stock for each brand are the problems during working hours because if size is not available sometime in fresh stock and customers sometime got upset and we may have danger of loosing customer. | 4) How do you manage staff for different duties? | Managing staff is not a big deal as most of them know their duties and sometime problem arises when salesperson for particular brand is on leave and we have to put other salesperson over that corner which may not be familiar with all the products of that brand. | 5) How do you manage day to day stock and related items to stock? Before closing all the staff mark the required products for different b rands and before opening on the next day all the products are delivered on their corners which are required for particular brand so by this all the products are available to customers at all times. | 2) Observations During the observation of work of retail manager in Myers, I noticed following tasks which he is performing on the field: 1) Motivating staff members on the work and try to improve their work. 2) Promoting the store products by different ways of promotion 3) Handling customer complaints ) Dealing with day to day stock 5) Ensures the procedures are being followed by all the staff members. 3) Questioner 1) What are your (Retail Manager) main duties? * Managing staff * Doing rosters * Boosting up moral level of employees * Handling sales and purchases for the store 2) How did you handle angry customer or unsatisfied customer? * By listening to the customers complaints calmly and making most of the decisions in the customers favour so that there must be proper customer satis faction and customer will be happy from every point. 3) How do you handle with underperforming employee? Handling with underperforming employee is not a big deal, just provide some time frame to the employee so that he can improve his performance and also give them key points where they are lacking in so that the can improve as possible as they can and moreover if employee is not improving after 2 official written warnings he is terminated or asked to leaved the job. 4) How did you ensure that code of conduct is being followed during work? * By keep checking on the staff from time to time and the major source is getting positive feedback from customers. Job Description Department: Retail storePosition: Retail Manager Job type: Permanent (38- 40 hours) Salary: $60,000 with normal entitlements Employment Status: Ongoing Other Facilities: Leased 3 series BMW Retail Store Manager Job Duties: * Maintains store staff by recruiting, selecting, orienting, and training employees * Maintains the stability and reputation of the store by complying with legal requirements * Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed * Protects employees and customers by providing a safe and clean store environment * Identifies urrent and future customer requirements * Maintains operations by initiating, coordinating, and enforcing programmes http://monster. com/hr/hr-best-practices/recruiting-hiring-advice/job-descriptions/retail-store-manager-job-description-sample. aspx Personal Specifications Qualification and related requirements * Candidate must poses degree or masters in management, business or something equivalent to that. * Must having experience of 1-2 year(s) in related field * Applicants should be Australian citizens Skills required: * Must be Customer Focused * Required skill (s): MS office, word processing, spreadsheets and database management. Must be having knowledge about Tracking Budget Expenses * Having good communication skills * Must be Result s Driven * Having good knowledge about Vendor Relationship, client relation ship and pricing of products Methods of recruitment External methods of recruitment * Placement agencies: Company can make contact with placement agencies and can get list of candidates according to job requirement. * Online advertisement: Company can post its job advertisement on various online sites like Careerone. com. au, Seek. com. au * Benefits of external methods of recruitment Bring new ideas and talent for the organisation * Help organisation to get required competencies * May reduce training cost by hiring professional or person having experience * Got heaps of options and can choose best among them Internal methods of recruitment * Promotions It is most common and efficient method for recruitment as it boosts the moral level of employees and also motivates employees to work better. * Personal recommendation Under this manager or team leader recommend his team member for the job vacant in the compa ny this is also very commonly used method of internal recruitment. Benefits of internal recruitment * Cheaper and quicker to recruit * People already familiar with the business and how it operates. * Business already knows the strengths and weaknesses of candidates * Less cost included * Reduce cost for training as compared to new employee Job advertisement (For internet) Location: Melbourne, CBD locations Department: Retail store Position: Retail Manager $60K + Super + Bonuses + Clothing discounts + leased BMW Work in a fun, dynamic culture with a supportive upper management structure!This fashion retailer is one of the Australia's leading contemporary brands ââ¬âselling edgy, fashion-forward designs that are always one step ahead of the trends. The brand focuses on funky yet sophisticated fashion for the distinguished youth, always creating fresh new looks and a keen sense of style! We are seeking a Store Manager for the XXXX store. You must have a passion for street fashion, a knack for styling, an understanding of current fashion trends and the ability to present funky, urban looks to your fashion-conscious clientele.Duties include: * Managing stock levels and staff * Managing rosters * Merchandising * Setting and ensuring budgets are met * Ensuring the department provides a pleasant shopping experience for customers and exceptional customer service is being offered; and * Ensuring health and safety at the workplace http://www. indeed. com. au/jobs? q=retail+manager;gclid=CMah3 Must have skills: * A minimum of two years experience in a management role * Strong interpersonal and selling skills * Excellent customer service and rapport building skills Good people management skills * Hands-on leadership skills * High energy and a passion for the industry You are a strong team player, a lover of fashion retail, with an intense desire to have a successful career in the fashion retail industry. If you are looking for a company that offers support, recognition , coupled with a fun working environment, then this is the role for you! Send your resume to Triangle Tribe at [emailà protected] com Job advertisement (For print media) Triangle Tribe Retail Manager * $ 60k package * Great incentives * CBD locationsWe are seeking an experienced professional to join well known organisation. Your responsibilities will be challenging and varied including development of business. The person must be able to promote the store and the fashion line. Contact The Triangle Group is a group of companies on 9870xxxxxx for further information. OR Email at [emailà protected] com Action plan with timelines Activity| Manager position became vacant| Recruiting processIncluding job advertisement| Interviewing the candidate| Appointment of candidateAnd familiarising with job| Date| 26/9/2012| 10/9/2012| 22/9/2012| 26/9/2012|Person responsible| ââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬â-| HR officer| HR officer| HR officer| Time required to complete task| â⠬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬âââ¬â-| App. 2 weeks | 1 particular day| 1-2 days| Comments| Manager position will be vacant from 26/9/2012 and before this recruitment process has to be completed| On 10/9/2012Advertisement related to job will be posted on internet and other sources will all the detailsRelated to the job. | On 22/9/2012 selected applications of candidates will be interviewed and among them best will be selected for this job. On 26/9/2012Contract between company and selected candidate will be signed and he will be familiarised with his job and related duties. | EEO principles Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) is about: * Making sure that workplaces are free from all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment * There must not be discrimination among applicants or candidates on the basis of: * Age * Sex * Pregnancy * Disability * Race, colour, ethnic or ethno-religious background, descent or nationality * Marital status * Homosexuality, or * Gender identif icationEEO groups are people affected by past or continuing disadvantage or discrimination in employment. These groups are: â⬠¢ Womenââ¬â¢s â⬠¢ Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders â⬠¢ Members of racial, ethnic, and ethno-religious minority groups, and â⬠¢ People with a disability. Government restrict the practices of discrimination in recruitment process and all the companies are following these principles and by following these principles many companies are showing growth due to their multicultural environment and different talent from different nations. http://www. awlink. nsw. gov. au/lawlink/adb/ll_adb. nsf/pages/adb_eeo_affirmative_action References Tutor2u viewed on 9th Aug 2012 http://tutor2u. net/business/people/recruitment_jobanalysis. asp Monster viewed on 9th Aug 2012 http://monster. com/hr/hr-best-practices/recruiting-hiring-advice/job-descriptions/retail-store-manager-job-description-sample. aspx Indeed viewed on 11th Aug 2012 http://www. in deed. com. au/jobs? q=retail+manager;gclid=CMah3 Lawlink viewed on 11th Aug 2012 http://www. lawlink. nsw. gov. au/lawlink/adb/ll_adb. nsf/pages/adb_eeo_affirmative
Compilation of Mathematicians and Their Contributions
I. Greek Mathematicians Thales of Miletus Birthdate: 624 B. C. Died: 547-546 B. C. Nationality: Greek Title: Regarded as ââ¬Å"Father of Scienceâ⬠Contributions: * He is credited with the first use of deductive reasoning applied to geometry. * Discovery that a circle isà bisectedà by its diameter, that the base angles of an isosceles triangle are equal and thatà vertical anglesà are equal. * Accredited with foundation of the Ionian school of Mathematics that was a centre of learning and research. * Thales theorems used in Geometry: . The pairs of opposite angles formed by two intersecting lines are equal. 2. The base angles of an isosceles triangle are equal. 3. The sum of the angles in a triangle is 180à °. 4. An angle inscribed in a semicircle is a right angle. Pythagoras Birthdate: 569 B. C. Died: 475 B. C. Nationality: Greek Contributions: * Pythagorean Theorem. In a right angled triangle the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares on the other two sides. Note: A right triangle is a triangle that contains one right (90à °) angle.The longest side of a right triangle, called the hypotenuse, is the side opposite the right angle. The Pythagorean Theorem is important in mathematics, physics, and astronomy and has practical applications in surveying. * Developed a sophisticated numerology in which odd numbers denoted male and even female: 1 is the generator of numbers and is the number of reason 2 is the number of opinion 3 is the number of harmony 4 is the number of justice and retribution (opinion squared) 5 is the number of marriage (union of the ? rst male and the ? st female numbers) 6 is the number of creation 10 is the holiest of all, and was the number of the universe, because 1+2+3+4 = 10. * Discovery of incommensurate ratios, what we would call today irrational numbers. * Made the ? rst inroads into the branch of mathematics which would today be called Number Theory. * Setting up a secret mystical society, known as th e Pythagoreans that taught Mathematics and Physics. Anaxagoras Birthdate: 500 B. C. Died: 428 B. C. Nationality: Greek Contributions: * He was the first to explain that the moon shines due to reflected light from the sun. Theory of minute constituents of things and his emphasis on mechanical processes in the formation of order that paved the way for the atomic theory. * Advocated that matter is composed of infinite elements. * Introduced the notion of nous (Greek, ââ¬Å"mindâ⬠or ââ¬Å"reasonâ⬠) into the philosophy of origins. The concept of nous (ââ¬Å"mindâ⬠), an infinite and unchanging substance that enters into and controls every living object. He regarded material substance as an infinite multitude of imperishable primary elements, referring all generation and disappearance to mixture and separation, respectively.Euclid Birthdate: c. 335 B. C. E. Died: c. 270 B. C. E. Nationality: Greek Title: ââ¬Å"Father of Geometryâ⬠Contributions: * Published a book called the ââ¬Å"Elementsâ⬠serving as the main textbook for teachingà mathematicsà (especiallyà geometry) from the time of its publication until the late 19th or early 20th century. The Elements. One of the oldest surviving fragments of Euclid'sà Elements, found atà Oxyrhynchus and dated to circa AD 100. * Wrote works on perspective,à conic sections,à spherical geometry,à number theoryà andà rigor. In addition to theà Elements, at least five works of Euclid have survived to the present day. They follow the same logical structure asà Elements, with definitions and proved propositions. Those are the following: 1. Dataà deals with the nature and implications of ââ¬Å"givenâ⬠information in geometrical problems; the subject matter is closely related to the first four books of theà Elements. 2. On Divisions of Figures, which survives only partially inà Arabicà translation, concerns the division of geometrical figures into two or more equal par ts or into parts in givenà ratios.It is similar to a third century AD work byà Heron of Alexandria. 3. Catoptrics, which concerns the mathematical theory of mirrors, particularly the images formed in plane and spherical concave mirrors. The attribution is held to be anachronistic however by J J O'Connor and E F Robertson who nameà Theon of Alexandriaà as a more likely author. 4. Phaenomena, a treatise onà spherical astronomy, survives in Greek; it is quite similar toà On the Moving Sphereà byà Autolycus of Pitane, who flourished around 310 BC. * Famous five postulates of Euclid as mentioned in his book Elements . Point is that which has no part. 2. Line is a breadthless length. 3. The extremities of lines are points. 4. A straight line lies equally with respect to the points on itself. 5. One can draw a straight line from any point to any point. * Theà Elementsà also include the following five ââ¬Å"common notionsâ⬠: 1. Things that are equal to the same thi ng are also equal to one another (Transitive property of equality). 2. If equals are added to equals, then the wholes are equal. 3. If equals are subtracted from equals, then the remainders are equal. 4.Things that coincide with one another equal one another (Reflexive Property). 5. The whole is greater than the part. Plato Birthdate: 424/423 B. C. Died: 348/347 B. C. Nationality: Greek Contributions: * He helped to distinguish betweenà pureà andà applied mathematicsà by widening the gap between ââ¬Å"arithmeticâ⬠, now calledà number theoryà and ââ¬Å"logisticâ⬠, now calledà arithmetic. * Founder of theà Academyà inà Athens, the first institution of higher learning in theà Western world. It provided a comprehensive curriculum, including such subjects as astronomy, biology, mathematics, political theory, and philosophy. Helped to lay the foundations ofà Western philosophyà andà science. * Platonic solids Platonic solid is a regular, convex poly hedron. The faces are congruent, regular polygons, with the same number of faces meeting at each vertex. There are exactly five solids which meet those criteria; each is named according to its number of faces. * Polyhedron Vertices Edges FacesVertex configuration 1. tetrahedron4643. 3. 3 2. cube / hexahedron81264. 4. 4 3. octahedron61283. 3. 3. 3 4. dodecahedron2030125. 5. 5 5. icosahedron1230203. 3. 3. 3. 3 AristotleBirthdate: 384 B. C. Died: 322 BC (aged 61 or 62) Nationality: Greek Contributions: * Founded the Lyceum * His biggest contribution to the field of mathematics was his development of the study of logic, which he termed ââ¬Å"analyticsâ⬠, as the basis for mathematical study. He wrote extensively on this concept in his work Prior Analytics, which was published from Lyceum lecture notes several hundreds of years after his death. * Aristotle's Physics, which contains a discussion of the infinite that he believed existed in theory only, sparked much debate in later cen turies.It is believed that Aristotle may have been the first philosopher to draw the distinction between actual and potential infinity. When considering both actual and potential infinity, Aristotle states this:à à à à à à 1. A body is defined as that which is bounded by a surface, therefore there cannot be an infinite body. 2. A Number, Numbers, by definition, is countable, so there is no number called ââ¬Ëinfinityââ¬â¢. 3. Perceptible bodies exist somewhere, they have a place, so there cannot be an infinite body. But Aristotle says that we cannot say that the infinite does not exist for these reasons: 1.If no infinite, magnitudes will not be divisible into magnitudes, but magnitudes can be divisible into magnitudes (potentially infinitely), therefore an infinite in some sense exists. 2. If no infinite, number would not be infinite, but number is infinite (potentially), therefore infinity does exist in some sense. * He was the founder ofà formal logic, pioneere d the study ofà zoology, and left every future scientist and philosopher in his debt through his contributions to the scientific method. Erasthosthenes Birthdate: 276 B. C. Died: 194 B. C. Nationality: Greek Contributions: * Sieve of Eratosthenes Worked onà prime numbers.He is remembered for his prime number sieve, the ââ¬ËSieve of Eratosthenes' which, in modified form, is still an important tool inà number theoryà research. Sieve of Eratosthenes- It does so by iteratively marking as composite (i. e. not prime) the multiples of each prime, starting with the multiples of 2. The multiples of a given prime are generated starting from that prime, as a sequence of numbers with the same difference, equal to that prime, between consecutive numbers. This is the Sieve's key distinction from using trial division to sequentially test each candidate number for divisibility by each prime. Made a surprisingly accurate measurement of the circumference of the Earth * He was the first per son to use the word ââ¬Å"geographyâ⬠in Greek and he invented the discipline of geography as we understand it. * He invented a system ofà latitudeà andà longitude. * He was the first to calculate theà tilt of the Earth's axisà (also with remarkable accuracy). * He may also have accurately calculated theà distance from the earth to the sunà and invented theà leap day. * He also created the firstà map of the worldà incorporating parallels and meridians within his cartographic depictions based on the available geographical knowledge of the era. Founder of scientificà chronology. Favourite Mathematician Euclid paves the way for what we known today as ââ¬Å"Euclidian Geometryâ⬠that is considered as an indispensable for everyone and should be studied not only by students but by everyone because of its vast applications and relevance to everyoneââ¬â¢s daily life. It is Euclid who is gifted with knowledge and therefore became the pillar of todayââ¬â ¢s success in the field of geometry and mathematics as a whole. There were great mathematicians as there were numerous great mathematical knowledge that God wants us to know.In consideration however, there were several sagacious Greek mathematicians that had imparted their great contributions and therefore they deserve to be appreciated. But since my task is to declare my favourite mathematician, Euclid deserves most of my kudos for laying down the foundation of geometry. II. Mathematicians in the Medieval Ages Leonardo of Pisa Birthdate: 1170 Died: 1250 Nationality: Italian Contributions: * Best known to the modern world for the spreading of the Hinduââ¬âArabic numeral system in Europe, primarily through the publication in 1202 of his Liber Abaci (Book of Calculation). Fibonacci introduces the so-called Modus Indorum (method of the Indians), today known as Arabic numerals. The book advocated numeration with the digits 0ââ¬â9 and place value. The book showed the practical im portance of the new numeral system, using lattice multiplication and Egyptian fractions, by applying it to commercial bookkeeping, conversion of weights and measures, the calculation of interest, money-changing, and other applications. * He introduced us to the bar we use in fractions, previous to this, the numerator has quotations around it. * The square root notation is also a Fibonacci method. He wrote following books that deals Mathematics teachings: 1. Liber Abbaci (The Book of Calculation), 1202 (1228) 2. Practica Geometriae (The Practice of Geometry), 1220 3. Liber Quadratorum (The Book of Square Numbers), 1225 * Fibonacci sequence of numbers in which each number is the sum of the previous two numbers, starting with 0 and 1. This sequence begins 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987â⬠¦ The higher up in the sequence, the closer two consecutive ââ¬Å"Fibonacci numbersâ⬠of the sequence divided by each other will approach the golden ratio (ap proximately 1: 1. 18 or 0. 618: 1). Roger Bacon Birthdate: 1214 Died: 1294 Nationality: English Contributions: * Opus Majus contains treatments of mathematics and optics, alchemy, and the positions and sizes of the celestial bodies. * Advocated the experimental method as the true foundation of scientific knowledge and who also did some work in astronomy, chemistry, optics, and machine design. Nicole Oresme Birthdate: 1323 Died: July 11, 1382 Nationality: French Contributions: * He also developed a language of ratios, to relate speed to force and resistance, and applied it to physical and cosmological questions. He made a careful study of musicology and used his findings to develop the use of irrational exponents. * First to theorise that sound and light are a transfer of energy that does not displace matter. * His most important contributions to mathematics are contained in Tractatus de configuratione qualitatum et motuum. * Developed the first use of powers with fractional exponent s, calculation with irrational proportions. * He proved the divergence of the harmonic series, using the standard method still taught in calculus classes today. Omar Khayyam Birhtdate: 18 May 1048Died: 4 December 1131 Nationality: Arabian Contibutions: * He derived solutions to cubic equations using the intersection of conic sections with circles. * He is the author of one of the most important treatises on algebra written before modern times, the Treatise on Demonstration of Problems of Algebra, which includes a geometric method for solving cubic equations by intersecting a hyperbola with a circle. * He contributed to a calendar reform. * Created important works on geometry, specifically on the theory of proportions. Omar Khayyam's geometric solution to cubic equations. Binomial theorem and extraction of roots. * He may have been first to develop Pascal's Triangle, along with the essential Binomial Theorem which is sometimes called Al-Khayyam's Formula: (x+y)n = n! ? xkyn-k / k! (n -k)!. * Wrote a book entitled ââ¬Å"Explanations of the difficulties in the postulates in Euclid's Elementsâ⬠The treatise of Khayyam can be considered as the first treatment of parallels axiom which is not based on petitio principii but on more intuitive postulate. Khayyam refutes the previous attempts by other Greek and Persian mathematicians to prove the proposition.In a sense he made the first attempt at formulating a non-Euclidean postulate as an alternative to the parallel postulate. Favorite Mathematician As far as medieval times is concerned, people in this era were challenged with chaos, social turmoil, economic issues, and many other disputes. Part of this era is tinted with so called ââ¬Å"Dark Agesâ⬠that marked the history with unfavourable events. Therefore, mathematicians during this era-after they undergone the untold toils-were deserving individuals for gratitude and praises for they had supplemented the following generations with mathematical ideas that is very useful and applicable.Leonardo Pisano or Leonardo Fibonacci caught my attention therefore he is my favourite mathematician in the medieval times. His desire to spread out the Hindu-Arabic numerals in other countries thus signifies that he is a person of generosity, with his noble will, he deserves to beâ⬠¦ III. Mathematicians in the Renaissance Period Johann Muller Regiomontanus Birthdate: 6 June 1436 Died: 6 July 1476 Nationality: German Contributions: * He completed De Triangulis omnimodus. De Triangulis (On Triangles) was one of the first textbooks presenting the current state of trigonometry. His work on arithmetic and algebra, Algorithmus Demonstratus, was among the first containing symbolic algebra. * De triangulis is in five books, the first of which gives the basic definitions: quantity, ratio, equality, circles, arcs, chords, and the sine function. * The crater Regiomontanus on the Moon is named after him. Scipione del Ferro Birthdate: 6 February 1465 Died: 5 N ovember 1526 Nationality: Italian Contributions: * Was the first to solve the cubic equation. * Contributions to the rationalization of fractions with denominators containing sums of cube roots. Investigated geometry problems with a compass set at a fixed angle. Niccolo Fontana Tartaglia Birthdate: 1499/1500 Died: 13 December 1557 Nationality: Italian Contributions: â⬠¢He published many books, including the first Italian translations of Archimedes and Euclid, and an acclaimed compilation of mathematics. â⬠¢Tartaglia was the first to apply mathematics to the investigation of the paths of cannonballs; his work was later validated by Galileo's studies on falling bodies. â⬠¢He also published a treatise on retrieving sunken ships. â⬠¢Ã¢â¬ Cardano-Tartaglia Formulaâ⬠. â⬠¢He makes solutions to cubic equations. Formula for solving all types of cubic equations, involving first real use of complex numbers (combinations of real and imaginary numbers). â⬠¢Tartagli aââ¬â¢s Triangle (earlier version of Pascalââ¬â¢s Triangle) A triangular pattern of numbers in which each number is equal to the sum of the two numbers immediately above it. â⬠¢He gives an expression for the volume of a tetrahedron: Girolamo Cardano Birthdate: 24 September 1501 Died: 21 September 1576 Nationality: Italian Contributions: * He wrote more than 200 works on medicine, mathematics, physics, philosophy, religion, and music. Was the first mathematician to make systematic use of numbers less than zero. * He published the solutions to the cubic and quartic equations in his 1545 book Ars Magna. * Opus novum de proportionibus he introduced the binomial coefficients and the binomial theorem. * His book about games of chance, Liber de ludo aleae (ââ¬Å"Book on Games of Chanceâ⬠), written in 1526, but not published until 1663, contains the first systematic treatment of probability. * He studied hypocycloids, published in de proportionibus 1570. The generating circl es of these hypocycloids were later named Cardano circles or cardanic ircles and were used for the construction of the first high-speed printing presses. * His book, Liber de ludo aleae (ââ¬Å"Book on Games of Chanceâ⬠), contains the first systematic treatment of probability. * Cardano's Ring Puzzle also known as Chinese Rings, still manufactured today and related to the Tower of Hanoi puzzle. * He introduced binomial coefficients and the binomial theorem, and introduced and solved the geometric hypocyloid problem, as well as other geometric theorems (e. g. the theorem underlying the 2:1 spur wheel which converts circular to reciprocal rectilinear motion).Binomial theorem-formula for multiplying two-part expression: a mathematical formula used to calculate the value of a two-part mathematical expression that is squared, cubed, or raised to another power or exponent, e. g. (x+y)n, without explicitly multiplying the parts themselves. Lodovico Ferrari Birthdate: February 2, 1522 Died: October 5, 1565 Nationality: Italian Contributions: * Was mainly responsible for the solution of quartic equations. * Ferrari aided Cardano on his solutions for quadratic equations and cubic equations, and was mainly responsible for the solution of quartic equations that Cardano published.As a result, mathematicians for the next several centuries tried to find a formula for the roots of equations of degree five and higher. Favorite Mathematician Indeed, this period is supplemented with great mathematician as it moved on from the Dark Ages and undergone a rebirth. Enumerated mathematician were all astounding with their performances and contributions. But for me, Niccolo Fontana Tartaglia is my favourite mathematician not only because of his undisputed contributions but on the way he keep himself calm despite of conflicts between him and other mathematicians in this period. IV. Mathematicians in the 16th CenturyFrancois Viete Birthdate: 1540 Died: 23 February 1603 Nationality: F rench Contributions: * He developed the first infinite-product formula for ?. * Vieta is most famous for his systematic use of decimal notation and variable letters, for which he is sometimes called the Father of Modern Algebra. (Used A,E,I,O,U for unknowns and consonants for parameters. ) * Worked on geometry and trigonometry, and in number theory. * Introduced the polar triangle into spherical trigonometry, and stated the multiple-angle formulas for sin (nq) and cos (nq) in terms of the powers of sin(q) and cos(q). * Published Francisci Viet? universalium inspectionum ad canonem mathematicum liber singularis; a book of trigonometry, in abbreviated Canonen mathematicum, where there are many formulas on the sine and cosine. It is unusual in using decimal numbers. * In 1600, numbers potestatum ad exegesim resolutioner, a work that provided the means for extracting roots and solutions of equations of degree at most 6. John Napier Birthdate: 1550 Birthplace: Merchiston Tower, Edinburgh Death: 4 April 1617 Contributions: * Responsible for advancing the notion of the decimal fraction by introducing the use of the decimal point. His suggestion that a simple point could be used to eparate whole number and fractional parts of a number soon became accepted practice throughout Great Britain. * Invention of the Napierââ¬â¢s Bone, a crude hand calculator which could be used for division and root extraction, as well as multiplication. * Written Works: 1. A Plain Discovery of the Whole Revelation of St. John. (1593) 2. A Description of the Wonderful Canon of Logarithms. (1614) Johannes Kepler Born: December 27, 1571 Died: November 15, 1630 (aged 58) Nationality: German Title: ââ¬Å"Founder of Modern Opticsâ⬠Contributions: * He generalized Alhazen's Billiard Problem, developing the notion of curvature. He was first to notice that the set of Platonic regular solids was incomplete if concave solids are admitted, and first to prove that there were only 13 ââ¬Å"Archi medean solids. â⬠* He proved theorems of solid geometry later discovered on the famous palimpsest of Archimedes. * He rediscovered the Fibonacci series, applied it to botany, and noted that the ratio of Fibonacci numbers converges to the Golden Mean. * He was a key early pioneer in calculus, and embraced the concept of continuity (which others avoided due to Zeno's paradoxes); his work was a direct inspiration for Cavalieri and others. He developed mensuration methods and anticipated Fermat's theorem (df(x)/dx = 0 at function extrema). * Kepler's Wine Barrel Problem, he used his rudimentary calculus to deduce which barrel shape would be the best bargain. * Keplerââ¬â¢s Conjecture- is a mathematical conjecture about sphere packing in three-dimensional Euclidean space. It says that no arrangement of equally sized spheres filling space has a greater average density than that of the cubic close packing (face-centered cubic) and hexagonal close packing arrangements.Marin Mersenn e Birthdate: 8 September 1588 Died: 1 September 1648 Nationality: French Contributions: * Mersenne primes. * Introduced several innovating concepts that can be considered as the basis of modern reflecting telescopes: 1. Instead of using an eyepiece, Mersenne introduced the revolutionary idea of a second mirror that would reflect the light coming from the first mirror. This allows one to focus the image behind the primary mirror in which a hole is drilled at the centre to unblock the rays. 2.Mersenne invented the afocal telescope and the beam compressor that is useful in many multiple-mirrors telescope designs. 3. Mersenne recognized also that he could correct the spherical aberration of the telescope by using nonspherical mirrors and that in the particular case of the afocal arrangement he could do this correction by using two parabolic mirrors. * He also performed extensive experiments to determine the acceleration of falling objects by comparing them with the swing of pendulums, r eported in his Cogitata Physico-Mathematica in 1644.He was the first to measure the length of the seconds pendulum, that is a pendulum whose swing takes one second, and the first to observe that a pendulum's swings are not isochronous as Galileo thought, but that large swings take longer than small swings. Gerard Desargues Birthdate: February 21, 1591 Died: September 1661 Nationality: French Contributions: * Founder of the theory of conic sections. Desargues offered a unified approach to the several types of conics through projection and section. * Perspective Theorem ââ¬â that when two triangles are in perspective the meets of corresponding sides are collinear. * Founder of projective geometry. Desarguesââ¬â¢s theorem The theorem states that if two triangles ABC and A? B? C? , situated in three-dimensional space, are related to each other in such a way that they can be seen perspectively from one point (i. e. , the lines AA? , BB? , and CC? all intersect in one point), then the points of intersection of corresponding sides all lie on one line provided that no two corresponding sides areâ⬠¦ * Desargues introduced the notions of the opposite ends of a straight line being regarded as coincident, parallel lines meeting at a point of infinity and regarding a straight line as circle whose center is at infinity. Desarguesââ¬â¢ most important work Brouillon projet dââ¬â¢une atteinte aux evenemens des rencontres d? une cone avec un plan (Proposed Draft for an essay on the results of taking plane sections of a cone) was printed in 1639. In it Desargues presented innovations in projective geometry applied to the theory of conic sections. Favorite Mathematician Mathematicians in this period has its own distinct, and unique knowledge in the field of mathematics.They tackled the more complex world of mathematics, this complex world of Mathematics had at times stirred their lives, ignited some conflicts between them, unfolded their flaws and weaknesses but at the end, they build harmonious world through the unity of their formulas and much has benefited from it, they indeed reflected the beauty of Mathematics. They were all excellent mathematicians, and no doubt in it. But I admire John Napier for giving birth to Logarithms in the world of Mathematics. V. Mathematicians in the 17th Century Rene Descartes Birthdate: 31 March 1596 Died: 11 February 1650Nationality: French Contributions: * Accredited with the invention of co-ordinate geometry, the standard x,y co-ordinate system as the Cartesian plane. He developed the coordinate system as a ââ¬Å"device to locate points on a planeâ⬠. The coordinate system includes two perpendicular lines. These lines are called axes. The vertical axis is designated as y axis while the horizontal axis is designated as the x axis. The intersection point of the two axes is called the origin or point zero. The position of any point on the plane can be located by locating how far perpendicularly from e ach axis the point lays.The position of the point in the coordinate system is specified by its two coordinates x and y. This is written as (x,y). * He is credited as the father of analytical geometry, the bridge between algebra and geometry, crucial to the discovery of infinitesimal calculus and analysis. * Descartes was also one of the key figures in the Scientific Revolution and has been described as an example of genius. * He also ââ¬Å"pioneered the standard notationâ⬠that uses superscripts to show the powers or exponents; for example, the 4 used in x4 to indicate squaring of squaring. He ââ¬Å"invented the convention of representing unknowns in equations by x, y, and z, and knowns by a, b, and câ⬠. * He was first to assign a fundamental place for algebra in our system of knowledge, and believed that algebra was a method to automate or mechanize reasoning, particularly about abstract, unknown quantities. * Rene Descartes created analytic geometry, and discovered an early form of the law of conservation of momentum (the term momentum refers to the momentum of a force). * He developed a rule for determining the number of positive and negative roots in an equation.The Rule of Descartes as it is known states ââ¬Å"An equation can have as many true [positive] roots as it contains changes of sign, from + to ââ¬â or from ââ¬â to +; and as many false [negative] roots as the number of times two + signs or two ââ¬â signs are found in succession. â⬠Bonaventura Francesco Cavalieri Birthdate: 1598 Died: November 30, 1647 Nationality: Italian Contributions: * He is known for his work on the problems of optics and motion. * Work on the precursors of infinitesimal calculus. * Introduction of logarithms to Italy. First book was Lo Specchio Ustorio, overo, Trattato delle settioni coniche, or The Burning Mirror, or a Treatise on Conic Sections. In this book he developed the theory of mirrors shaped into parabolas, hyperbolas, and ellipses, and various combinations of these mirrors. * Cavalieri developed a geometrical approach to calculus and published a treatise on the topic, Geometria indivisibilibus continuorum nova quadam ratione promota (Geometry, developed by a new method through the indivisibles of the continua, 1635).In this work, an area is considered as constituted by an indefinite number of parallel segments and a volume as constituted by an indefinite number of parallel planar areas. * Cavalieri's principle, which states that the volumes of two objects are equal if the areas of their corresponding cross-sections are in all cases equal. Two cross-sections correspond if they are intersections of the body with planes equidistant from a chosen base plane. * Published tables of logarithms, emphasizing their practical use in the fields of astronomy and geography.Pierre de Fermat Birthdate: 1601 or 1607/8 Died: 1665 Jan 12 Nationality: French Contributions: * Early developments that led to infinitesimal calculus, inc luding his technique of adequality. * He is recognized for his discovery of an original method of finding the greatest and the smallest ordinates of curved lines, which is analogous to that of the differential calculus, then unknown, and his research into number theory. * He made notable contributions to analytic geometry, probability, and optics. * He is best known for Fermat's Last Theorem. Fermat was the first person known to have evaluated the integral of general power functions. Using an ingenious trick, he was able to reduce this evaluation to the sum of geometric series. * He invented a factorization methodââ¬âFermat's factorization methodââ¬âas well as the proof technique of infinite descent, which he used to prove Fermat's Last Theorem for the case n = 4. * Fermat developed the two-square theorem, and the polygonal number theorem, which states that each number is a sum of three triangular numbers, four square numbers, five pentagonal numbers, and so on. With his gif t for number relations and his ability to find proofs for many of his theorems, Fermat essentially created the modern theory of numbers. Blaise Pascal Birthdate: 19 June 1623 Died: 19 August 1662 Nationality: French Contributions: * Pascal's Wager * Famous contribution of Pascal was his ââ¬Å"Traite du triangle arithmetiqueâ⬠(Treatise on the Arithmetical Triangle), commonly known today as Pascal's triangle, which demonstrates many mathematical properties like binomial coefficients. Pascalââ¬â¢s Triangle At the age of 16, he formulated a basic theorem of projective geometry, known today as Pascal's theorem. * Pascal's law (a hydrostatics principle). * He invented the mechanical calculator. He built 20 of these machines (called Pascalââ¬â¢s calculator and later Pascaline) in the following ten years. * Corresponded with Pierre de Fermat on probability theory, strongly influencing the development of modern economics and social science. * Pascal's theorem. It states that if a hexagon is inscribed in a circle (or conic) then the three intersection points of opposite sides lie on a line (called the Pascal line).Christiaan Huygens Birthdate: April 14, 1629 Died: July 8, 1695 Nationality: Dutch Contributions: * His work included early telescopic studies elucidating the nature of the rings of Saturn and the discovery of its moon Titan. * The invention of the pendulum clock. Spring driven pendulum clock, designed by Huygens. * Discovery of the centrifugal force, the laws for collision of bodies, for his role in the development of modern calculus and his original observations on sound perception. Wrote the first book on probability theory, De ratiociniis in ludo aleae (ââ¬Å"On Reasoning in Games of Chanceâ⬠). * He also designed more accurate clocks than were available at the time, suitable for sea navigation. * In 1673 he published his mathematical analysis of pendulums, Horologium Oscillatorium sive de motu pendulorum, his greatest work on horology. I saac Newton Birthdate: 4 Jan 1643 Died: 31 March 1727 Nationality: English Contributions: * He laid the foundations for differential and integral calculus.Calculus-branch of mathematics concerned with the study of such concepts as the rate of change of one variable quantity with respect to another, the slope of a curve at a prescribed point, the computation of the maximum and minimum values of functions, and the calculation of the area bounded by curves. Evolved from algebra, arithmetic, and geometry, it is the basis of that part of mathematics called analysis. * Produced simple analytical methods that unified many separate techniques previously developed to solve apparently unrelated problems such as finding areas, tangents, the lengths of curves and the maxima and minima of functions. Investigated the theory of light, explained gravity and hence the motion of the planets. * He is also famed for inventing `Newtonian Mechanics' and explicating his famous three laws of motion. * The first to use fractional indices and to employ coordinate geometry to derive solutions to Diophantine equations * He discovered Newton's identities, Newton's method, classified cubic plane curves (polynomials of degree three in two variables) Newton's identities, also known as the Newtonââ¬âGirard formulae, give relations between two types of symmetric polynomials, namely between power sums and elementary symmetric polynomials.Evaluated at the roots of a monic polynomial P in one variable, they allow expressing the sums of the k-th powers of all roots of P (counted with their multiplicity) in terms of the coefficients of P, without actually finding those roots * Newton's method (also known as the Newtonââ¬âRaphson method), named after Isaac Newton and Joseph Raphson, is a method for finding successively better approximations to the roots (or zeroes) of a real-valued function. Gottfried Wilhelm Von Leibniz Birthdate: July 1, 1646 Died: November 14, 1716 Nationality: GermanCont ributions: * Leibniz invented a mechanical calculating machine which would multiply as well as add, the mechanics of which were still being used as late as 1940. * Developed the infinitesimal calculus. * He became one of the most prolific inventors in the field of mechanical calculators. * He was the first to describe a pinwheel calculator in 1685[6] and invented the Leibniz wheel, used in the arithmometer, the first mass-produced mechanical calculator. * He also refined the binary number system, which is at the foundation of virtually all digital computers. Leibniz was the first, in 1692 and 1694, to employ it explicitly, to denote any of several geometric concepts derived from a curve, such as abscissa, ordinate, tangent, chord, and the perpendicular. * Leibniz was the first to see that the coefficients of a system of linear equations could be arranged into an array, now called a matrix, which can be manipulated to find the solution of the system. * He introduced several notations used to this day, for instance the integral sign ? representing an elongated S, from the Latin word summa and the d used for differentials, from the Latin word differentia.This cleverly suggestive notation for the calculus is probably his most enduring mathematical legacy. * He was the ? rst to use the notation f(x). * The notation used today in Calculus df/dx and ? f x dx are Leibniz notation. * He also did work in discrete mathematics and the foundations of logic. Favorite Mathematician Selecting favourite mathematician from these adept persons in mathematics is a hard task, but as I read the contributions of these Mathematicians, I found Sir Isaac Newton to be the greatest mathematician of this period.He invented the useful but difficult subject in mathematics- the calculus. I found him cooperative with different mathematician to derive useful formulas despite the fact that he is bright enough. Open-mindedness towards others opinion is what I discerned in him. VI. Mathematicians in the 18th Century Jacob Bernoulli Birthdate: 6 January 1655 Died: 16 August 1705 Nationality: Swiss Contributions: * Founded a school for mathematics and the sciences. * Best known for the work Ars Conjectandi (The Art of Conjecture), published eight years after his death in 1713 by his nephew Nicholas. Jacob Bernoulli's first important contributions were a pamphlet on the parallels of logic and algebra published in 1685, work on probability in 1685 and geometry in 1687. * Introduction of the theorem known as the law of large numbers. * By 1689 he had published important work on infinite series and published his law of large numbers in probability theory. * Published five treatises on infinite series between 1682 and 1704. * Bernoulli equation, y' = p(x)y + q(x)yn. * Jacob Bernoulli's paper of 1690 is important for the history of calculus, since the term integral appears for the first time with its integration meaning. Discovered a general method to determine evolutes of a curve as the envelope of its circles of curvature. He also investigated caustic curves and in particular he studied these associated curves of the parabola, the logarithmic spiral and epicycloids around 1692. * Theory of permutations and combinations; the so-called Bernoulli numbers, by which he derived the exponential series. * He was the first to think about the convergence of an infinite series and proved that the series à is convergent. * He was also the first to propose continuously compounded interest, which led him to investigate: Johan Bernoulli Birthdate: 27 July 1667Died: 1 January 1748 Nationality: Swiss Contributions: * He was a brilliant mathematician who made important discoveries in the field of calculus. * He is known for his contributions to infinitesimal calculus and educated Leonhard Euler in his youth. * Discovered fundamental principles of mechanics, and the laws of optics. * He discovered the Bernoulli series and made advances in theory of navigation and ship saili ng. * Johann Bernoulli proposed the brachistochrone problem, which asks what shape a wire must be for a bead to slide from one end to the other in the shortest possible time, as a challenge to other mathematicians in June 1696.For this, he is regarded as one of the founders of the calculus of variations. Daniel Bernoulli Birthdate: 8 February 1700 Died: 17 March 1782 Nationality: Swiss Contributions: * He is particularly remembered for his applications of mathematics to mechanics. * His pioneering work in probability and statistics. Nicolaus Bernoulli Birthdate: February 6, 1695 Died: July 31, 1726 Nationality: Swiss Contributions: â⬠¢Worked mostly on curves, differential equations, and probability. â⬠¢He also contributed to fluid dynamics. Abraham de Moivre Birthdate: 26 May 1667 Died: 27 November 1754 Nationality: French Contributions: Produced the second textbook on probability theory, The Doctrine of Chances: a method of calculating the probabilities of events in play. * Pioneered the development of analytic geometry and the theory of probability. * Gives the first statement of the formula for the normal distribution curve, the first method of finding the probability of the occurrence of an error of a given size when that error is expressed in terms of the variability of the distribution as a unit, and the first identification of the probable error calculation. Additionally, he applied these theories to gambling problems and actuarial tables. In 1733 he proposed the formula for estimating a factorial as n! = cnn+1/2e? n. * Published an article called Annuities upon Lives, in which he revealed the normal distribution of the mortality rate over a personââ¬â¢s age. * De Moivreââ¬â¢s formula: which he was able to prove for all positive integral values of n. * In 1722 he suggested it in the more well-known form of de Moivre's Formula: Colin Maclaurin Birthdate: February, 1698 Died: 14 June 1746 Nationality: Scottish Contributions: * Maclaurin used Taylor series to characterize maxima, minima, and points of inflection for infinitely differentiable functions in his Treatise of Fluxions. Made significant contributions to the gravitation attraction of ellipsoids. * Maclaurin discovered the Eulerââ¬âMaclaurin formula. He used it to sum powers of arithmetic progressions, derive Stirling's formula, and to derive the Newton-Cotes numerical integration formulas which includes Simpson's rule as a special case. * Maclaurin contributed to the study of elliptic integrals, reducing many intractable integrals to problems of finding arcs for hyperbolas. * Maclaurin proved a rule for solving square linear systems in the cases of 2 and 3 unknowns, and discussed the case of 4 unknowns. Some of his important works are: Geometria Organica ââ¬â 1720 * De Linearum Geometricarum Proprietatibus ââ¬â 1720 * Treatise on Fluxions ââ¬â 1742 (763 pages in two volumes. The first systematic exposition of Newton's methods. ) * Treatise on Al gebra ââ¬â 1748 (two years after his death. ) * Account of Newton's Discoveries ââ¬â Incomplete upon his death and published in 1750 or 1748 (sources disagree) * Colin Maclaurin was the name used for the new Mathematics and Actuarial Mathematics and Statistics Building at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. Lenard Euler Birthdate: 15 April 1707 Died: 18 September 1783 Nationality: Swiss Contributions: He made important discoveries in fields as diverse as infinitesimal calculus and graph theory. * He also introduced much of the modern mathematical terminology and notation, particularly for mathematical analysis, such as the notion of a mathematical function. * He is also renowned for his work in mechanics, fluid dynamics, optics, and astronomy. * Euler introduced and popularized several notational conventions through his numerous and widely circulated textbooks. Most notably, he introduced the concept of a function [2] and was the first to write f(x) to denote the function f a pplied to the argument x. He also introduced the modern notation for the trigonometric functions, the letter e for the base of the natural logarithm (now also known as Euler's number), the Greek letter ? for summations and the letter i to denote the imaginary unit. * The use of the Greek letter ? to denote the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter was also popularized by Euler. * Well known in analysis for his frequent use and development of power series, the expression of functions as sums of infinitely many terms, such as * Euler introduced the use of the exponential function and logarithms in analytic proofs. He discovered ways to express various logarithmic functions using power series, and he successfully defined logarithms for negative and complex numbers, thus greatly expanding the scope of mathematical applications of logarithms. * He also defined the exponential function for complex numbers, and discovered its relation to the trigonometric functions. * Elaborate d the theory of higher transcendental functions by introducing the gamma function and introduced a new method for solving quartic equations. He also found a way to calculate integrals with complex limits, foreshadowing the development of modern complex analysis.He also invented the calculus of variations including its best-known result, the Eulerââ¬âLagrange equation. * Pioneered the use of analytic methods to solve number theory problems. * Euler created the theory of hypergeometric series, q-series, hyperbolic trigonometric functions and the analytic theory of continued fractions. For example, he proved the infinitude of primes using the divergence of the harmonic series, and he used analytic methods to gain some understanding of the way prime numbers are distributed. Euler's work in this area led to the development of the prime number theorem. He proved that the sum of the reciprocals of the primes diverges. In doing so, he discovered the connection between the Riemann zeta f unction and the prime numbers; this is known as the Euler product formula for the Riemann zeta function. * He also invented the totient function ? (n) which is the number of positive integers less than or equal to the integer n that are coprime to n. * Euler also conjectured the law of quadratic reciprocity. The concept is regarded as a fundamental theorem of number theory, and his ideas paved the way for the work of Carl Friedrich Gauss. * Discovered the formula V ?E + F = 2 relating the number of vertices, edges, and faces of a convex polyhedron. * He made great strides in improving the numerical approximation of integrals, inventing what are now known as the Euler approximations. Jean Le Rond De Alembert Birthdate: 16 November 1717 Died: 29 October 1783 Nationality: French Contributions: * D'Alembert's formula for obtaining solutions to the wave equation is named after him. * In 1743 he published his most famous work, Traite de dynamique, in which he developed his own laws of mot ion. * He created his ratio test, a test to see if a series converges. The D'Alembert operator, which first arose in D'Alembert's analysis of vibrating strings, plays an important role in modern theoretical physics. * He made several contributions to mathematics, including a suggestion for a theory of limits. * He was one of the first to appreciate the importance of functions, and defined the derivative of a function as the limit of a quotient of increments. Joseph Louise Lagrange Birthdate: 25 January 1736 Died: 10 April 1813 Nationality: Italian French Contributions: * Published the ââ¬ËMecanique Analytique' which is considered to be his monumental work in the pure maths. His most prominent influence was his contribution to the the metric system and his addition of a decimal base. * Some refer to Lagrange as the founder of the Metric System. * He was responsible for developing the groundwork for an alternate method of writing Newton's Equations of Motion. This is referred to as ââ¬ËLagrangian Mechanics'. * In 1772, he described the Langrangian points, the points in the plane of two objects in orbit around their common center of gravity at which the combined gravitational forces are zero, and where a third particle of negligible mass can remain at rest. He made significant contributions to all fields of analysis, number theory, and classical and celestial mechanics. * Was one of the creators of the calculus of variations, deriving the Eulerââ¬âLagrange equations for extrema of functionals. * He also extended the method to take into account possible constraints, arriving at the method of Lagrange multipliers. * Lagrange invented the method of solving differential equations known as variation of parameters, applied differential calculus to the theory of probabilities and attained notable work on the solution of equations. * He proved that every natural number is a sum of four squares. Several of his early papers also deal with questions of number theo ry. 1. Lagrange (1766ââ¬â1769) was the first to prove that Pell's equation has a nontrivial solution in the integers for any non-square natural number n. [7] 2. He proved the theorem, stated by Bachet without justification, that every positive integer is the sum of four squares, 1770. 3. He proved Wilson's theorem that n is a prime if and only if (n ? 1)! + 1 is always a multiple of n, 1771. 4. His papers of 1773, 1775, and 1777 gave demonstrations of several results enunciated by Fermat, and not previously proved. 5.His Recherches d'Arithmetique of 1775 developed a general theory of binary quadratic forms to handle the general problem of when an integer is representable by the form. Gaspard Monge Birthdate: May 9, 1746 Died: July 28, 1818 Nationality: French Contributions: * Inventor of descriptive geometry, the mathematical basis on which technical drawing is based. * Published the following books in mathematics: 1. The Art of Manufacturing Cannon (1793)[3] 2. Geometrie descri ptive. Lecons donnees aux ecoles normales (Descriptive Geometry): a transcription of Monge's lectures. (1799) Pierre Simon Laplace Birthdate: 23 March 1749Died: 5 March 1827 Nationality: French Contributions: * Formulated Laplace's equation, and pioneered the Laplace transform which appears in many branches of mathematical physics. * Laplacian differential operator, widely used in mathematics, is also named after him. * He restated and developed the nebular hypothesis of the origin of the solar system * Was one of the first scientists to postulate the existence of black holes and the notion of gravitational collapse. * Laplace made the non-trivial extension of the result to three dimensions to yield a more general set of functions, the spherical harmonics or Laplace coefficients. Issued his Theorie analytique des probabilites in which he laid down many fundamental results in statistics. * Laplaceââ¬â¢s most important work was his Celestial Mechanics published in 5 volumes between 1798-1827. In it he sought to give a complete mathematical description of the solar system. * In Inductive probability, Laplace set out a mathematical system of inductive reasoning based on probability, which we would today recognise as Bayesian. He begins the text with a series of principles of probability, the first six being: 1.Probability is the ratio of the ââ¬Å"favored eventsâ⬠to the total possible events. 2. The first principle assumes equal probabilities for all events. When this is not true, we must first determine the probabilities of each event. Then, the probability is the sum of the probabilities of all possible favored events. 3. For independent events, the probability of the occurrence of all is the probability of each multiplied together. 4. For events not independent, the probability of event B following event A (or event A causing B) is the probability of A multiplied by the probability that A and B both occur. 5.The probability that A will occur, given th at B has occurred, is the probability of A and B occurring divided by the probability of B. 6. Three corollaries are given for the sixth principle, which amount to Bayesian probability. Where event Ai ? {A1, A2, â⬠¦ An} exhausts the list of possible causes for event B, Pr(B) = Pr(A1, A2, â⬠¦ An). Then: * Amongst the other discoveries of Laplace in pure and applied mathematics are: 1. Discussion, contemporaneously with Alexandre-Theophile Vandermonde, of the general theory of determinants, (1772); 2. Proof that every equation of an even degree must have at least one real quadratic factor; 3.Solution of the linear partial differential equation of the second order; 4. He was the first to consider the difficult problems involved in equations of mixed differences, and to prove that the solution of an equation in finite differences of the first degree and the second order might always be obtained in the form of a continued fraction; and 5. In his theory of probabilities: 6. Evalua tion of several common definite integrals; and 7. General proof of the Lagrange reversion theorem. Adrian Marie Legendere Birthdate: 18 September 1752 Died: 10 January 1833 Nationality: French Contributions: Well-known and important concepts such as the Legendre polynomials. * He developed the least squares method, which has broad application in linear regression, signal processing, statistics, and curve fitting; this was published in 1806. * He made substantial contributions to statistics, number theory, abstract algebra, and mathematical analysis. * In number theory, he conjectured the quadratic reciprocity law, subsequently proved by Gauss; in connection to this, the Legendre symbol is named after him. * He also did pioneering work on the distribution of primes, and on the application of analysis to number theory. Best known as the author of Elements de geometrie, which was published in 1794 and was the leading elementary text on the topic for around 100 years. * He introduced wh at are now known as Legendre functions, solutions to Legendreââ¬â¢s differential equation, used to determine, via power series, the attraction of an ellipsoid at any exterior point. * Published books: 1. Elements de geometrie, textbook 1794 2. Essai sur la Theorie des Nombres 1798 3. Nouvelles Methodes pour la Determination des Orbites des Cometes, 1806 4. Exercices de Calcul Integral, book in three volumes 1811, 1817, and 1819 5.Traite des Fonctions Elliptiques, book in three volumes 1825, 1826, and 1830 Simon Dennis Poison Birthdate: 21 June 1781 Died: 25 April 1840 Nationality: French Contributions: * He published two memoirs, one on Etienne Bezout's method of elimination, the other on the number of integrals of a finite difference equation. * Poisson's well-known correction of Laplace's second order partial differential equation for potential: today named after him Poisson's equation or the potential theory equation, was first published in the Bulletin de la societe philomati que (1813). Poisson's equation for the divergence of the gradient of a scalar field, ? in 3-dimensional space: Charles Babbage Birthdate: 26 December 1791 Death: 18 October 1871 Nationality: English Contributions: * Mechanical engineer who originated the concept of a programmable computer. * Credited with inventing the first mechanical computer that eventually led to more complex designs. * He invented the Difference Engine that could compute simple calculations, like multiplication or addition, but its most important trait was its ability create tables of the results of up to seven-degree polynomial functions. Invented the Analytical Engine, and it was the first machine ever designed with the idea of programming: a computer that could understand commands and could be programmed much like a modern-day computer. * He produced a Table of logarithms of the natural numbers from 1 to 108000 which was a standard reference from 1827 through the end of the century. Favorite Mathematician No ticeably, Leonard Euler made a mark in the field of Mathematics as he contributed several concepts and formulas that encompasses many areas of Mathematics-Geometry, Calculus, Trigonometry and etc.He deserves to be praised for doing such great things in Mathematics, indeed, his work laid foundation to make the lives of the following generation sublime, ergo, He is my favourite mathematician. VII. Mathematicians in the 19th Century Carl Friedrich Gauss Birthdate: 30 April 1777 Died: 23 February 1855 Nationality: German Contributions: * He became the first to prove the quadratic reciprocity law. * Gauss also made important contributions to number theory with his 1801 book Disquisitiones Arithmeticae (Latin, Arithmetical Investigations), which, among things, introduced the symbol ? or congruence and used it in a clean presentation of modular arithmetic, contained the first two proofs of the law of quadratic reciprocity, developed the theories of binary and ternary quadratic forms, state d the class number problem for them, and showed that a regular heptadecagon (17-sided polygon) can be constructed with straightedge and compass. * He developed a method of measuring the horizontal intensity of the magnetic field which was in use well into the second half of the 20th century, and worked out the mathematical theory for separating the inner and outer (magnetospheric) sources of Earth's magnetic field.Agustin Cauchy Birthdate: 21 August 1789 Died: 23 May 1857 Nationality: French Contributions: * His most notable research was in the theory of residues, the question of convergence, differential equations, theory of functions, the legitimate use of imaginary numbers, operations with determinants, the theory of equations, the theory of probability, and the applications of mathematics to physics. * His writings introduced new standards of rigor in calculus from which grew the modern field of analysis.In Cours dââ¬â¢analyse de lââ¬â¢Ecole Polytechnique (1821), by develo ping the concepts of limits and continuity, he provided the foundation for calculus essentially as it is today. * He introduced the ââ¬Å"epsilon-delta definition for limits (epsilon for ââ¬Å"errorâ⬠and delta for ââ¬Å"differenceââ¬â¢). * He transformed the theory of complex functions by discovering integral theorems and introducing the calculus of residues. * Cauchy founded the modern theory of elasticity by applying the notion of pressure on a plane, and assuming that this pressure was no longer perpendicular to the plane upon which it acts in an elastic body.In this way, he introduced the concept of stress into the theory of elasticity. * He also examined the possible deformations of an elastic body and introduced the notion of strain. * One of the most prolific mathematicians of all time, he produced 789 mathematics papers, including 500 after the age of fifty. * He had sixteen concepts and theorems named for him, including the Cauchy integral theorem, the Cauchy-Sc hwartz inequality, Cauchy sequence and Cauchy-Riemann equations. He defined continuity in terms of infinitesimals and gave several important theorems in complex analysis and initiated the study of permutation groups in abstract algebra. * He started the project of formulating and proving the theorems of infinitesimal calculus in a rigorous manner. * He was the first to define complex numbers as pairs of real numbers. * Most famous for his single-handed development of complex function theory.The first pivotal theorem proved by Cauchy, now known as Cauchy's integral theorem, was the following: where f(z) is a complex-valued function holomorphic on and within the non-self-intersecting closed curve C (contour) lying in the complex plane. * He was the first to prove Taylor's theorem rigorously. * His greatest contributions to mathematical science are enveloped in the rigorous methods which he introduced; these are mainly embodied in his three great treatises: 1. Cours d'analyse de l'Ecol e royale polytechnique (1821) 2. Le Calcul infinitesimal (1823) 3.Lecons sur les applications de calcul infinitesimal; La geometrie (1826ââ¬â1828) Nicolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky Birthdate: December 1, 1792 Died: February 24, 1856 Nationality: Russian Contributions: * Lobachevsky's great contribution to the development of modern mathematics begins with the fifth postulate (sometimes referred to as axiom XI) in Euclid's Elements. A modern version of this postulate reads: Through a point lying outside a given line only one line can be drawn parallel to the given line. * Lobachevsky's geometry found application in the theory of complex numbers, the theory of vectors, and the theory of relativity. Lobachevskii's deductions produced a geometry, which he called ââ¬Å"imaginary,â⬠that was internally consistent and harmonious yet different from the traditional one of Euclid. In 1826, he presented the paper ââ¬Å"Brief Exposition of the Principles of Geometry with Vigorous Proofs o f the Theorem of Parallels. â⬠He refined his imaginary geometry in subsequent works, dating from 1835 to 1855, the last being Pangeometry. * He was well respected in the work he developed with the theory of infinite series especially trigonometric series, integral calculus, and probability. In 1834 he found a method for approximating the roots of an algebraic equation. * Lobachevsky also gave the definition of a function as a correspondence between two sets of real numbers. Johann Peter Gustav Le Jeune Dirichlet Birthdate: 13 February 1805 Died: 5 May 1859 Nationality: German Contributions: * German mathematician with deep contributions to number theory (including creating the field of analytic number theory) and to the theory of Fourier series and other topics in mathematical analysis. * He is credited with being one of the first mathematicians to give the modern formal definition of a function. Published important contributions to the biquadratic reciprocity law. * In 1837 h e published Dirichlet's theorem on arithmetic progressions, using mathematical analysis concepts to tackle an algebraic problem and thus creating the branch of analytic number theory. * He introduced the Dirichlet characters and L-functions. * In a couple of papers in 1838 and 1839 he proved the first class number formula, for quadratic forms. * Based on his research of the structure of the unit group of quadratic fields, he proved the Dirichlet unit theorem, a fundamental result in algebraic number theory. He first used the pigeonhole principle, a basic counting argument, in the proof of a theorem in diophantine approximation, later named after him Dirichlet's approximation theorem. * In 1826, Dirichlet proved that in any arithmetic progression with first term coprime to the difference there are infinitely many primes. * Developed significant theorems in the areas of elliptic functions and applied analytic techniques to mathematical theory that resulted in the fundamental developme nt of number theory. * His lectures on the equilibrium of systems and potential theory led to what is known as the Dirichlet problem.It involves finding solutions to differential equations for a given set of values of the boundary points of the region on which the equations are defined. The problem is also known as the first boundary-value problem of potential theorem. Evariste Galois Birthdate: 25 October 1811 Death: 31 May 1832 Nationality: French Contributions: * His work laid the foundations for Galois Theory and group theory, two major branches of abstract algebra, and the subfield of Galois connections. * He was the first to use the word ââ¬Å"groupâ⬠(French: groupe) as a technical term in mathematics to represent a group of permutations. Galois published three papers, one of which laid the foundations for Galois Theory. The second one was about the numerical resolution of equations (root finding in modern terminology). The third was an important one in number theory, i n which the concept of a finite field was first articulated. * Galois' mathematical contributions were published in full in 1843 when Liouville reviewed his manuscript and declared it sound. It was finally published in the Octoberââ¬âNovember 1846 issue of the Journal de Mathematiques Pures et Appliquees. 16] The most famous contribution of this manuscript was a novel proof that there is no quintic formula ââ¬â that is, that fifth and higher degree equations are not generally solvable by radicals. * He also introduced the concept of a finite field (also known as a Galois field in his honor), in essentially the same form as it is understood today. * One of the founders of the branch of algebra known as group theory. He developed the concept that is today known as a normal subgroup. * Galois' most significant contribution to mathematics by far is his development of Galois Theory.He realized that the algebraic solution to a polynomial equation is related to the structure of a g roup of permutations associated with the roots of the polynomial, the Galois group of the polynomial. He found that an equation could be solved in radicals if one can find a series of subgroups of its Galois group, each one normal in its successor with abelian quotient, or its Galois group is solvable. This proved to be a fertile approach, which later mathematicians adapted to many other fields of mathematics besides the theory of equations to which Galois orig
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