Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Cayley-Hamilton theorem

2015-11-25T16:32:23Z

Quillercouch: Expand and clarify

In [[mathematics]], the '''Cayley-Hamilton theorem''' states that if a square [[matrix]] is substituted for the variable in its [[characteristic polynomial]], the result will be the zero matrix.

[[Category:Mathematics]][[Category:linear algebra]]

Charles Dodgson

2015-11-25T16:29:47Z

Quillercouch: Typing errors

[[Image:LewisCarrollSelfPhoto.jpg|right|thumb|Lewis Carroll]]

Rev. '''Charles Lutwidge Dodgson''' (1832–1898) was an English [[conservative]] [[mathematician]], clergyman and university professor who was critical of [[liberal]] inroads into mathematics and, as '''Lewis Carroll''', wrote ''[[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland]]'' and its sequel, ''[[Through the Looking-Glass]]'' (which contains the poem ''[[Jabberwocky]]''), in protest of them.<ref>http://activerain.com/blogsview/1553807/math-in-alice-in-wonderland-catch-the-npr-interview-with-standford-mathematician-janice-roosevelt-keller-williams-pa-de-jroosevelt-kw-com-</ref> Carroll also wrote the long nonsense poem, ''[[The Hunting of the Snark]].'' In addition to writing these stories and poems, Charles Dodgson also was a photographer.

Dodgson wrote a play about geometry called ''Euclid and His Modern Rivals''.

Dodgson's literary works are full of puns and jokes based on [[logic]]. Computer programmers are fond of quoting the King's directions to the White Rabbit, who asks "Where shall I begin, your Majesty" and is told "Begin at the beginning, and go on until you come to the end: then stop."

Many of the poems in the Alice books are sly [[parody|parodies]] of overly-solemn poems that were popular in Victorian times, but almost forgotten now. Dodgson's parodies have, in fact, survived better than the poems they were parodying. Isaac Watts'

  How doth the little busy Bee 
    Improve each shining Hour, 
  And gather Honey all the day 
    From every opening Flower! 

  How skilfully she builds her Cell! 
    How neat she spreads the Wax! 
  And labours hard to store it well 
    With the sweet Food she makes. 

becomes, in Dodgson's hands,

  How doth the little crocodile 
    Improve his shining tail, 
  And pour the waters of the Nile 
    On every golden scale! 

  How cheerfully he seems to grin, 
    How neatly spread his claws, 
  And welcome little fishes in 
    With gently smiling jaws!' 

Charles Dodgson came from a long line of Church of England ministers. His father was a gifted mathematician who gave up an intellectual career to become a country parson and eventually became an archdeacon. His great-grandfather had been a bishop. Although he achieved fame and wealth from his Alice books, he hated to be called Lewis Carroll and would respond to fan mail with a circular repudiating any relationship to that persona.

== See also ==
*[[Washington Irving]]
*[[Walter Scott]]

==External links==
*[http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/lewis-carroll-6.php Brief bio]

== References ==

<references/>
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dodgson, Charles}}
[[Category:Authors|Carroll, Lewis]]

Charles Dodgson

2015-11-25T16:28:08Z

Quillercouch: From a family of Christian ministers

[[Image:LewisCarrollSelfPhoto.jpg|right|thumb|Lewis Carroll]]

Rev. '''Charles Lutwidge Dodgson''' (1832–1898) was an English [[conservative]] [[mathematician]], clergyman and university professor who was critical of [[liberal]] inroads into mathematics and, as '''Lewis Carroll''', wrote ''[[Alice's Adventures in Wonderland]]'' and its sequel, ''[[Through the Looking-Glass]]'' (which contains the poem ''[[Jabberwocky]]''), in protest of them.<ref>http://activerain.com/blogsview/1553807/math-in-alice-in-wonderland-catch-the-npr-interview-with-standford-mathematician-janice-roosevelt-keller-williams-pa-de-jroosevelt-kw-com-</ref> Carroll also wrote the long nonsense poem, ''[[The Hunting of the Snark]].'' In addition to writing these stories and poems, Charles Dodgson also was a photographer.

Dodgson wrote a play about geometry called ''Euclid and His Modern Rivals''.

Dodgson's literary works are full of puns and jokes based on [[logic]]. Computer programmers are fond of quoting the King's directions to the White Rabbit, who asks "Where shall I begin, your Majesty" and is told "Begin at the beginning, and go on until you come to the end: then stop."

Many of the poems in the Alice books are sly [[parody|parodies]] of overly-solemn poems that were popular in Victorian times, but almost forgotten now. Dodgson's parodies have, in fact, survived better than the poems they were parodying. Isaac Watts'

  How doth the little busy Bee 
    Improve each shining Hour, 
  And gather Honey all the day 
    From every opening Flower! 

  How skilfully she builds her Cell! 
    How neat she spreads the Wax! 
  And labours hard to store it well 
    With the sweet Food she makes. 

becomes, in Dodgson's hands,

  How doth the little crocodile 
    Improve his shining tail, 
  And pour the waters of the Nile 
    On every golden scale! 

  How cheerfully he seems to grin, 
    How neatly spread his claws, 
  And welcome little fishes in 
    With gently smiling jaws!' 

Charles Dodgson came from a long line of Churchh of England ministers. His father was a gifted mathematician who gave up intellectual career to become a country parson and eventually became an archdeacon. His great-grandfather had been a bishop. Although he achieved fame and wealth from his Alice books, he hated to be called Lewis Carroll and would respond to fan mail with a circular repudiating any relationship to that persona.

== See also ==
*[[Washington Irving]]
*[[Walter Scott]]

==External links==
*[http://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/lewis-carroll-6.php Brief bio]

== References ==

<references/>
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dodgson, Charles}}
[[Category:Authors|Carroll, Lewis]]

CE

2015-11-25T16:21:31Z

Quillercouch: typos

One suggestion for the origin of the term '''"Common Era" (CE)''' is an anti-Christian attempt to conceal that Jesus is the historical basis for the primary calendar dating system. "Common Era" has no real meaning, and even the origin of this term is unclear. A later edition (11th) defines it as the Christian Era. The first recorded use of the phrase "common era" was in 1708.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=D_wvAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA2-PA515&dq=%22common+era%22&lr=lang_en&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=1&as_miny_is=800&as_maxm_is=1&as_maxy_is=1740&as_brr=0&cd=2#v=onepage&q=%22common%20era%22&f=false ''History of the Works of the Learned'', January 1703]</ref>

The established calendar dating system, which uses the [[Anno Domini]] ('AD') notation, is based on the calculations of [[Dionysius Exiguus]] for the birthyear of [[Jesus]] relative to the foundation of Rome.<ref>[http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEhelp/calendars.html Index to Calendars, NASA site]</ref> At the time, dates used the 'AD' system instituted by pagan and murderer Emperor Diocletian, which used the first year of his reign as year 1. (In that system, "AD" stood for Anno Diocletiani, and should not be confused with the present-day AD system.) Because Dionysius Exiguus in the year 525 wanted to end the memorialization of an evil man who persecuted Christians, he invented a new numbering system based on his calculations of the birth year of Jesus Christ. However, as he miscalculated, the terms BCE/CE are more accurate than BC/AD as the last few years BC were not actually Before Christ, and hence 1 AD is not actually the first year after Jesus' birth.

While the use of the phrase "Common Era" has existed for hundreds of years, only recently have [[political correctness|politically correct]] [[liberals]] attempted to replace all instances of 'AD' with 'CE.' The original use of 'CE' was to avoid the common practice of countries basing their dates on when their rulers reached power <ref>ex. 15 years in the rulership of King Steven the Third</ref> or were born, i.e. the "regal era" from the birthdate of Jesus Christ, which belonged to all men "the common era." While use of "Common Era" attempts to erase recognition for the Christian basis of the calendar, there are no similar attempts to erase non-Christian religious names from the calendar, such as the days of the week named after Norse gods. Numerous texts, particularly schoolbooks, have replaced "B.C./A.D." with "Common Era" symbols over the past decade. This is part of a [[United Nations]] effort to remove Christ from the Christian calendar and replace other cultures' orthodox calendars with it. <ref> Former Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi A. Annan in "Common values for a common era" on 28 June 1999 [http://www.un.org/News/ossg/sg/stories/articleFull.asp?TID=37] </ref>

== References ==
<references/>

[[Category:History]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Dating Systems]]