Pierre De Research Articles

Amenability of finite energy path and loop groups

It is shown that the groups of finite energy (i.e., Sobolev class H^{1} ) paths and loops with values in a compact Lie group are amenable in the sense of Pierre de la Harpe, that is, every continuous action of such a group on a compact space admits an invariant regular Borel probability measure. To our knowledge, the strongest previously known result concerned the amenability of groups of continuous paths and loops (Malliavin and Malliavin 1992).

The Aborted Project for the European Games in the 1960s and 1970s

Creating the European Games was a project that raised numerous cultural, sporting, Olympic and, above all, European questions. In 1965, during the Franco-German sports colloquium in Baden-Baden, Maurice Herzog introduced the idea of organizing the first European Games. The idea was met with great enthusiasm and quickly embraced by local stakeholders in the border cities of Mulhouse (France), Basel (Switzerland), and Freiburg (West Germany). A tripartite study group was set up to prepare a European Olympic bid for the Games in either 1970 or 1974. This Rhineland candidacy was built on local residents’ embedded sense of belonging to the region, with cross-border cooperation being a centuries-old tradition for them. According to the study group, these initial European-level games would bring together the ideals of Olympism’s father, Pierre de Coubertin, and those of the father of Europe, Jean Monnet. They also served to strengthen the postwar pro-European dynamic. Despite this, the project failed to garner unanimous support following opposition from the powerful International Association of Athletics Federations that was only willing to consider a form of preliminary games designed for the young.

The sum of four squares: An exploration of Lagrange's theorem and its legacy in number theory

Lagranges Four-square Theorem is a fundamental principle in number theory, which states that every positive integer can be expressed as the sum of four squares. The theorem was first conjectured by the Greek mathematician Diophantus of Alexandria in the 3rd century CE. It was later proved by Pierre de Fermat in the 17th century, and the first published proof was attributed to Joseph-Louis Lagrange in 1770. This paper presents a comprehensive account of the four-square theorem in number theory, which focuses on finding integer solutions to polynomial equations. The theorem has significantly advanced the study of Diophantine equations. It traces Lagranges Four-square Theorem from its conjectural origins to its emergence as a cornerstone of contemporary mathematical research. This paper reviews the proof of the theorem and its implications, as well as its connection to modern research and applications, highlighting its timeless relevance in mathematics. In addition, the paper reaffirms the extensive influence of the theorem on the advancement of Diophantine equations and its ongoing significance in elucidating the enigmas of number theory. This enhances our comprehension of the theorems position in the wider story of mathematical progress, confirming its significance in both historical and contemporary contexts.

A Kind of Chemistry

The author explains that 'A kind of chemistry' was the way the authors of The Gifts of Comus (1739) described the new cookery of the European courts, a cookery that had begun to take shape a century earlier with Pierre de la Varenne's Le Cuisinier François (1651). This essay takes their metaphor at face value. It was indeed chemistry, a chemical cookery inspired by a radical group of chemical physicians who treated and advised the aristocracies of northern Europe. The author thanks Alan Davidson who accepted a preliminary sketch of this essay for 'A Mini-Symposium on New Publications' PPC 53 (1996); 47-50, and the organizers and audiences of the Horning Lecture Series in History of Science at Oregon State University and Dibner Lectures in History of Science and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology who bore with successive versions. The present version won the Sophie Coe Prize 1998.

Education through sport with the principle of fair play in pre-war Łódź – a city of cultural differences

The educational aspects of sports were recognized during the development of sports along with its educational values, character formation, including the adherence to the fair play principle, primarily in English schools. Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games, based his philosophy of Olympism on them, aiming for the development of athletes from different nations. Łódź, a multicultural place – a "small center of games" at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, was such a place. Sport and various forms of physical activity were the foundation for bringing together people from different social, cultural, and religious backgrounds in this rapidly growing industrial city.The Western European genealogy of fair play contains elements of medieval chivalric ethos, ethical virtues of Renaissance courtiers, and the moral ideals of a 19th-century English gentleman. The supplement to the fair play idea also includes the ethical sports contexts present in the histories of local sports communities. The overview of selected documents presented in this article testifies to the significant role of sport, along with the fair play principle, in the creation of a common, multicultural, industrial city. It also encourages a brief presentation of pioneering actions aimed at popularizing sports with the fair play principle during the development of Łódź.

A short presentation of the original Jones polynomial

This text is a brief description of the Jones polynomial as it appears in the announcement in [9], together with Jones’ comments in the letter he addressed to Joan Birman on 31st May 1984 [8]. As much as possible I have followed the author’s initial notations. I add comments about the history of the events as I remember them, with the help of several testimonies of the “actors”. Among them: Didier Hatt-Arnold, Pierre de la Harpe, Cam Van Quach Hongler. It took me nontrivial efforts with my memories to get the chronology right (I hope so). The help of Eva Bayer was decisive. My warmest thanks to her. One may disagree with some of my statements which express a personal opinion. On purpose I have adopted a candid style.

Aurel Stroe: 3. Klaviersonate, En Palimpseste. 2. Satz Hommage à Pierre de la Rue im Musikunterricht „nach Corona“

This paper represents three music lessons of june 2022 concerning the second movement (Hommage à Pierre de la Rue) from Aurel Stroe’s Piano Sonata No. 3, En Palimpseste. The main focus is on professional communication and social interaction between the adolescents, after the lockdowns and corona-restrictions in school. In the comparison of biographical stations by Aurel Stroe and Pierre de la Rue, the pupils open up aspects of the historical-cultural context of Renaissance and contemporary music. The method “sound walk” offers different perspectives on the composition, for example on redundancies, discrepancies, incisions, fractures. The results are questions concerning Stroes compositional personalities, intentions and our own perception.

The Bumpy Road to World Athletics: Foundation, People, Policies

World Athletics was officially founded in 1913 following an initiative by Swedish members of the Organising Committee for the 1912 Olympic Games. This article examines the forces at work that led to its creation. By highlighting the developments in athletics in certain countries, it is possible to understand the need for an international federation (IF) governing the sport and an overarching set of rules. The constitution and focus of World Athletics in its early stages were influenced by a number of protagonists from Western nations, who led the national athletics movements in their home countries. Founding the federation in the first place was a struggle for them since it was viewed critically by Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games, as he saw athletics holding a special position within the Olympic Movement.

The Archaeology of Hellenism: Olympia and the Presence of the Past

Abstract Olympia holds a central place in conceptions of modern sport, Hellenism, and the Olympic Games. This article traces the concurrent development of the site and Panhellenism and Hellenism through its landscape, built environment, and its reception over the past 3,000 years. By tying together Pierre de Coubertin's Olympism to the physical landscape of ancient Olympia, this article argues that the site itself has contributed, through multiple permutations and through several key changes in the early Iron Age, Roman period, and nineteenth century to the global Hellenism that is at the foundation of the modern Olympic Games.

The philosophy of modern olympism through the eyes of Ukrainian and American athletes

Many scientists in the field of history of physical culture, sports and the Olympic movement are concerned with the philosophy of modern Olympism and its main principles. The article focuses on the fact that the foundations of modern Olympism were laid at the end of the 19th century by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the initiator of the revival of the Olympic Games. It was he who first proposed the philosophical doctrine of Olympism, based on universal moral principles. Pierre de Coubertin believed that Olympism was due to his humanistic potential combines sport with culture and education, serves as a worldview and axiological basis for the upbringing of the younger generation. Ancient Greek philosophers understood that physical perfection, strength and health only in combination with spiritual and moral qualities and education through exercises and competitions formed a perfect personality. Pierre de Coubertin, having drawn inspiration from the Ancient Olympic Games and the principles of the Greek education system, was convinced that the philosophy that created Greek culture can serve the development of modern humanity. Today, Olympism has the status of universal value and is an important factor of culture in general and sports culture in particular. But, as it turned out, athletes on different continents perceive the philosophy of modern Olympism in different ways. Pole dance, a relatively new sport that is rapidly developing and gaining popularity all over the world, particularly in Ukraine, was chosen for the study. The impetus for the study was the fact that Cathy Coates, the founder of the international Pole dance federation, together with supporters of this bright sport, are fighting for it to be included in the Olympic Games program. As a result of the analysis of the extended guide interview of 14 Ukrainian and 16 American athletes, it became clear that their opinions regarding the philosophy of modern Olympism were divided. This is how Ukrainian sportswomen claim that the philosophy of modern Olympism glorifies and unites into a harmonious whole the highest qualities of spirit, will, soul, mind and body, forms respect for universal fundamental ethical principles and puts sport at the service of harmonious human development. American athletes think somewhat differently: they partially agree with the quotes philosophy of modern Olympism, but believe that it has many flaws that need to be corrected (doping, politicization and illegal betting).

Lever de rideau i akcja właściwa – „wyobrażone podróże” Kazimierza Brauna albo metateatralność

This article deals with the metatheatrical aspects in selected dramas by Kazimierz Braun – theatre practitioner and theorist. The point of departure for the analysis, as indicated by Patrice Pavis, is the basic ways in which metatheatricality reveals itself in a dramatic text: the unveiling of the second communication system (scene – spectator), usually hidden behind the text, the fabrication of theatrical situations, and the discursivisation of theatrical themes. The subject of the analysis is the interconnected dramas, Niewyznane zwierzenia [Unconfessed confidences] and Kwarantanna [Quarantine], in which the author creatively refers to the tradition of commedia dell’arte. The first of the plays, in the style of comedy by Pierre de Marivaux and described more precisely as a lever de rideau, is a reference to the old theatrical practice of preceding the main performance with another small stage form. The article discusses the piece as an overt play with convention, an ‘imaginary journey’ into the ephemeral world of improvised comedy, revealing the laws of theatre that govern it. The second play, set during the pandemic, becomes a pretext for questions about the future and the meaning of artistic creation. The analysis of both texts reveals a clash between the cultural image of conventional play and the theatricalisation of life in Marivaux’s time and the dystopian creation of a dehumanised reality, in which the multidimensional crisis can no longer be hidden under the mask of theatrical decoration and outward playfulness.

The Olympic Art Competitions: Olympic medals for artworks, Pierre de Coubertin’s passion for art, the Fine Art Salon, and the social circles

In 2024, the city of Paris will be hosting the Olympic Games for the third time, after 1900 and 1924. At that Olympic Games one competition was held at the Grand Palais for which, instead of physical effort, creativity was needed to win an Olympic medal. This means that Pierre de Coubertin’s Olympic program had an artistic element. Only a few people know that between 1912 and 1948, the Olympic Art Competitions were held in parallel to the sports contests. Male and female artists competed in the five disciplines of painting, sculpture, architecture, literature and music. Consequently, this paper traces the inspirational sources for Pierre de Coubertin to conceptualize such competitions. It unveils the link to the art worlds of the Fine Art Salon through his artistic family background. In addition, it explains the importance of the private salons to find like-minded people that helped him realizing his Olympic vision and who were companions along the way. The findings enable a better understanding of how and why the sports aficionado had an interest in art and find a way to combine both in the Olympic Art Competitions – the artistic element in the Olympic Program during the first half of the 20th century.

Pomiędzy Mentorellą a Paryżem. Artystyczna wizja krakowskiego kościoła Zmartwychwstańców ojca Leona Zbyszewskiego (1832-1907)

The paper is a study of the architecture and equipment of the Resurrectionist Church in Cracow, which was built between 1886 and 1887 by the Cracow house of the congregation, founded in 1885. It was the second Resurrectionist temple on Polish territory, after the Lviv church. The artistic vision of Father Leon Zbyszewski (1832-1907) CR had a fundamental impact on the temple. With the help of Father W. Orpiszewski, Zbyszewski developed an artistic vision for the church, where he referred to ancient and early medieval models, as well as the modern neostyle temple of Saint Pierre de Montrouge in Paris (1863-1872), built after a design by Émile Vaudremer. Leon Zbyszewski, collaborating with the Cracow architect and builder Wandalin Beringer, prepared a comprehensive artistic and ideological program for the church‘s furnishings and decoration, including both the exposed roof truss, painting and sculpture decorations, the design of the altar partition, altars, music choir, pulpit and even pews and confessionals. The synthesis of Father Zbyszewski‘s artistic experience produced a unique, yet modest, temple that successfully combined the patterns of ancient and medieval art, with an ideological program that was consistent with the congregation‘s charism.

Chrześcijańska tożsamość olimpijskiego motta citius – altius – fortius

In this article, the author will attempt to show the Christian identity of the citius-altius-fortius motto, which is the basic motto of Olympism. It was introduced during the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 by its creator Pierre de Coubertin. Since then, it has been associated with the Olympic spirit and the idea of sports excellence, as well as commonly known as the principle of athletes striving to achieve the best possible results in the spirit of fair play, breaking records and exceeding their own limits.The author of the motto is the Dominican priest Henri Didon. The words come from Latin and mean faster-higher-stronger.

The librettos of Moniuszko’s operas and the European literary tradition: a comparative perspective on the opposition between serious drama and comedy

The aim of this study is to indicate several features of serious drama and comedy proper to Moniuszko’s operatic output and to describe them within the context of European points of reference (Pierre de Beaumarchais, Alfred de Musset, Jane Austen, Italian librettists). The network of generic and intertextual relationships shows that an important feature of Moniuszko librettos is not their supposed closure within the circle of national inspiration, but on the contrary – a seemingly insatiable openness to the most valuable areas of foreign legacies. The consistent comparison of comic and serious works in a single study also reveals an affinity between the issues at the heart of Moniuszko’s musical dramas, regardless of the tone of particular works. Moniuszko’s oeuvre, both in its comical and serious aspects, reflects, in different ways, one of the themes that has recurred in Europe after cataclysms, such as the holy wars of the Renaissance, the French Revolution (or the Partitions of Poland during the same period) and the conflicts of the twentieth century. One issue at the core of Polish opera turns out to be the disintegration of the social order and the transition to its opposite – the sudden or gradual, but ineluctable movement from harmony to confusion and violence-filled chaos. Halka and The Pariahforge models of a community based on the exploitation of the weak by the strong. Highlighted are instances of individuals refusing to conform to the anti-order. In the comic variant of Moniuszko’s output, meanwhile (The Haunted Manor, The Countess), the relationship between the order and its contradiction takes on the form of an unjustified renouncing of communal values. At the same time, the comparison between serious and comical works refutes the thesis that Moniuszko was an unequivocal eulogist of an ethics based on the unconditional belonging to a national community.

A XIVth century approach to the points problem

The application of expected value as the first decision-theoretical criterion for evaluating risky lotteries is traditionally attributed to the 1654 correspondence between Pierre de Fermat and Blaise Pascal. However, an anonymous author of the XVth century Italian manuscript stored in the Vatican Apostolic Library calculated expected value by backward induction in a similar way to Pascal’s approach. This note argues that an even earlier anonymous XIVth century Italian manuscript calculates expected value by a different method resembling the direct rule (regula recta) described in 1202 by Leonardo of Pisa (Fibonacci) in his Liber Abaci as borrowed from the Arabs.

Investigation of the Reasons for the Ottoman Empire's Limited Participation in the Modern Olympic Games

The Olympic Games organised in the ancient Greek civilisation was a formation in which only Greeks and men could participate and individual competitions were held. Years later, the work carried out by archaeologists and researchers in Olympia attracted the attention of Baron Pierre De Coubertin. These studies sparked the idea of creating the modern Olympic Games, a modernised version of the ancient Greek games. Thoughts such as the modern Olympic Games, providing a peaceful and goodwill environment, and being open to the whole world affected the perspective of the Ottoman Empire on the Olympics, and in this sense, the Ottoman Empire was also involved in the process of participation in the modern Olympics, albeit limited. The aim of this study is to examine the Ottoman State's perspective on the modern Olympic Games, to analyse the process of participating in these Olympics and to determine the reasons for the limited participation considering the conditions of the period, which first started in Athens in 1896 and the date of the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. In the study conducted for this purpose, the conditions of the period in question were analysed and a literature review covering various articles and academic books was conducted. During the relevant period, the Ottoman Empire could not participate in the first Olympic Games due to financial difficulties and the oppressive regime; afterwards, this participation was made possible through individual efforts. The oppressive regime of tyranny imposed on Turks paved the way for the participation to be realised through non-Turkish athletes. In this sense, the reasons for the limited participation of the Ottoman Empire in the modern Olympics can be considered as financial impossibilities, the oppressive regime imposed, distance, the outbreak of the World War and the attribution of the responsibility to the Allied States in which the Ottoman Empire was located.

Atiq Rahimi’s Exophonic Entanglements: Multilingual and Multimodal Poetics

Abstract In 2008, first-generation Afghan migrant novelist-artist Atiq Rahimi published his first translingual work in French, Syngué Sabour: Pierre de patience. This article interrogates his multilingual and multimodal aesthetics across his translingual oeuvre. In his exophonic novel Les Porteurs d’eau (2019), Rahimi valorizes a polyvocal and culturally diverse Central Asian history. The Prix Goncourt–awarded author introduces Afghanistan’s past and present beyond its intracultural challenges. The epitome of the Rahimi-esque aesthetic is the author’s publication L’Invité du miroir (2020), which acts as a revolt, a transnational dialectic crossroads where multilingual fiction meets classical Persian calligraphy and nonfiction to explore the human spirit.

The Sport : an European Union’s New Soft Power Tool3

Since the twentieth century, sports have developed based on their“eternal values,” as set forth by Pierre de Coubertin; these valueshave been transmitted by the Olympic Games and have graduallybecome institutionalized worldwide. By being included in programssuch as Europe’s Erasmus student exchange or projects with nonmemberstates, “sports diplomacy” has acquired a dimension thatis social, cultural, political, and even “linguistic,” both within andoutside the EU. This has made it a pillar of public diplomacy thatrelies on neither propaganda nor any overt governmental influence.

Concept and material in the architecture of Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron

The article is devoted to the early period of architectural oeuvre of Swiss architects. It was at this time that Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron developed their own approach to design, which becomes the object of study in this work. The article describes the origins of the conceptual thinking of architects, establishes the role of the urban, educational and cultural environment in the formation of architectural ideas and professional tools. Particular attention is paid to the specifics of the concepts in the architectural projects of Herzog and de Meuron, individual methods and techniques that architects used in the design of small objects, the reduction of plastic language, the invention of the envelope and material texture. Eleven examples are considered, which are today recognized monuments of contemporary architecture, in which the unique contribution of architects to the development of discipline and profession was most clearly manifested.