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Renner, Karl

(Encyclopedia)Renner, Karl kärl rĕnˈər [key], 1870–1950, Austrian socialist politician. A deputy after 1907, Renner became, following the abdication (Nov., 1918) of Emperor Charles I, the head of the provisio...

Prada, Miuccia

(Encyclopedia)Prada, Miuccia, 1949–, Italian fashion designer, b. Milan as Maria Bianchi. She studied political science (Ph.D. Univ. of Milan, 1973) and then studied and performed mime at Milan's Teatro Piccolo. ...

Ostwald, Wilhelm

(Encyclopedia)Ostwald, Wilhelm vĭlˈhĕlm ôstˈvält [key], 1853–1932, German physical chemist and natural philosopher, b. Riga, Latvia. He was professor of chemistry and director of the chemical laboratory (18...

proof, in mathematics

(Encyclopedia)proof, in mathematics, finite sequence of propositions each of which is either an axiom or follows from preceding propositions by one of the rules of logical inference (see symbolic logic). Mathematic...

Virchow, Rudolf

(Encyclopedia)Virchow, Rudolf ro͞oˈdôlf fĭrˈkhō [key], 1821–1902, German pathologist, a founder of cellular pathology. He became professor at the Univ. of Würzburg (1849) and professor and director of the ...

folk medicine

(Encyclopedia)folk medicine, methods of curing by means of healing objects, herbs, or animal parts; ceremony; conjuring, magic, or witchcraft; and other means apart from the formalized practice of medical science. ...

paleontology

(Encyclopedia)paleontology pāˌlēəntŏlˈəjē [key] [Gr.,= study of early beings], science of the life of past geologic periods based on fossil remains. Knowledge of the existence of fossils dates back at least...

Dykstra, Clarence Addison

(Encyclopedia)Dykstra, Clarence Addison dīkˈstrə [key], 1883–1950, American educator and civic administrator, b. Cleveland, grad. Univ. of Iowa, 1903. After graduate work at the Univ. of Chicago, he taught in ...

Cuenca, city, Spain

(Encyclopedia)Cuenca, city , capital of Cuenca prov., E central Spain, in Castile–La Mancha, at the confluence of the Huécar and Júcar rivers, c.3,000 ft (910 m) ...

Chuquet, Nicolas

(Encyclopedia)Chuquet, Nicolas nēkôläˈ shükāˈ [key], c.1450–1500, French mathematician, probably b. Paris. Little is known of Chuquet's life. At Lyons in 1484 he composed a manuscript on the science of num...

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