Looking at the content of a character device's file
What are character special and block special files in a unix system?
If Z is a square integrable random variable such that $E[Z]&gt;0$, then prove that  $$P(Z\geq k) \geq \frac{(E(Z)-k)^2}{E(Z^2)} \forall k \in [0,E(Z)]. $$  This is a homework question and I don't even understand why the inequality is reversed comparing to Markov/Chebychev inequality. Should Cauchy-Schwartz inequality be used? If yes, then how to begin? Thanks a ton! When I learned English at school, I was taught that I should not end a sentence with a preposition.  Is it correct to end a sentence with a preposition?     To avoid starting a sentence with a conjunction, I don't write sentences similar to "I miss you. And your kisses." Is there a similar way to avoid ending a sentence with a preposition? Why $x^{p^n}-x+1$ is irreducible in ${\mathbb{F}_p}$ only when $n=1$ or $n=p=2$ I have a question, I think it concerns with field theory.     Why the polynomial $$x^{p^n}-x+1$$ is irreducible in ${\mathbb{F}_p}$ only when $n=1$ or $n=p=2$?   Thanks in advance. It bothers me for several days. Why are there so many different ways to measure disk usage? How do I set up file sharing between two Ubuntu laptops on my wireless network? I have two laptops running Ubuntu 12.04. Both connect to the same WIFI network to access internet.  How do I connect them to each other so that I can access files on one from another and vice versa?  Also, how do I manage the user permissions, etc. on them? Why is the prospective new kilogram standard a sphere? I can understand the choice of material, silicon 28, but why is it a sphere rather than (say) a cube? Article   I would have thought that a sphere would have been the hardest shape to machine accurately. Query Feature and Usage based entitlements license Avoiding 'instanceof' in Java Difference between might and could Moving from SQL 2005 [SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS] to 2008 - will I lose any features by using 'backwards compatibility' We're moving from SQL 2005 [Instance and DB have collation of SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS]  to SQL 2008 [which defaults to Latin1_General_CI_AS].  I completed a SQL 2008 R2 installation, and used default Latin1_General_CI_AS collation, with the restoration of the database still on SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS. The excepted problems occurred - the #temp tables where in  Latin1_General_CI_AS whilst the db was in  SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS and this is where I am now - I need advice on the pitfalls now please.  On installation of SQL 2008 R2, I have the option on installation to use 'SQL Collation, used for backwards compatibility' where I have the option to select the same collation as the 2005 database : SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS.   This will allow me to not have problems with #temp tables, but are there pitfalls? Would I lose any functionality or features of any kind by not using a "current" collation of SQL 2008? What about when we move (e.g. in 2 years ) from 2008 to SQL 2012? Will I have problems then? Would I at some point be forced to go to Latin1_General_CI_AS? I read that some DBA's script complete the rows of complete databases, and then run the insert script into the database with the new collation - I'm very scared and wary of this - would you recommend doing this? This question is a sequel of sorts to my  about .  In the paper, the authors performed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of parallel-plate supercapacitors, in which liquid resides between the parallel-plate electrodes.  The system has a "slab" geometry, so the authors are only interested in variations of the liquid structure along the $z$ direction.  In my previous question, I asked about how particle number density is computed.  In this question, I would like to ask about how the electric potential is computed, given the charge density distribution.  Recall that in CGS (Gaussian) units, the Poisson equation is   $$\nabla^2 \Phi = -4\pi \rho$$  where $\Phi$ is the electric potential and $\rho$ is the charge density.  So the charge density $\rho$ is proportional to the Laplacian of the potential.  Now suppose I want to find the potential $\Phi(z)$ along $z$, by integrating the Poisson equation.  How can I do this?  In the paper, on page 254, the authors write down the average charge density $\bar{\rho}_{\alpha}(z)$ at $z$:  $$\bar{\rho}_{\alpha}(z) = A_0^{-1} \int_{-x_0}^{x_0} \int_{-y_0}^{y_0} dx^{\prime} \; dy^{\prime} \; \rho_{\alpha}(x^{\prime}, y^{\prime}, z)$$  where $\rho_{\alpha}(x, y, z)$ is the local charge density arising from the atomic charge distribution of ionic species $\alpha$, $\bar{\rho}_{\alpha}(z)$ is the average charge density at $z$ obtained by averaging $\rho_{\alpha}(x, y, z)$ over $x$ and $y$, and $\sum_{\alpha}$ denotes sum over ionic species.  The authors then integrate the Poisson equation to obtain $\Phi(z)$:  $$\Phi(z) = -4\pi \sum_{\alpha} \int_{-z_0}^z (z - z^{\prime}) \bar{\rho}_{\alpha}(z^{\prime}) \; dz^{\prime} \; \; \; \; \textbf{(eq. 2)}$$  My question is, how do I "integrate the Poisson equation" to obtain equation (2)?  How do I go from  $\nabla^2 \Phi = -4\pi \rho$ to equation (2)?  In paricular, where does the $(z - z^{\prime})$ factor come from?   Thanks for your time. Is there any way to call the parent version of an overridden method? (C# .NET) In the code below I tried in two ways to access the parent version of methodTwo, but the result was always 2. Is there any way to get the 1 result from a ChildClass instance without modifying these two classes?  class ParentClass {     public int methodOne()     {         return methodTwo();     }      virtual public int methodTwo()     {         return 1;     } }  class ChildClass : ParentClass {     override public int methodTwo()     {         return 2;     } }  class Program {     static void Main(string[] args)     {         var a = new ChildClass();         Console.WriteLine("a.methodOne(): " + a.methodOne());         Console.WriteLine("a.methodTwo(): " + a.methodTwo());         Console.WriteLine("((ParentClass)a).methodTwo(): "          + ((ParentClass)a).methodTwo());         Console.ReadLine();     } }   Update ChrisW posted this:     From outside the class, I don't know   any easy way; but, perhaps, I don't   know what happens if you try   reflection: use the Type.GetMethod   method to find the MethodInfo   associated with the method in the   ParentClass, and then call   MethodInfo.Invoke   That answer was deleted. I'm wondering if that hack could work, just for curiosity. Can you use Uncanny Dodge against extra damage effects? Changing affiliation on publication I am moving from one job to another (postdoc to tenure track) this summer and I have papers in several stages of being written, these go from handwritten notes with all the necessary arguments to under revision at a journal. All the papers will have my new contact information put on them but where is the line for changing affiliation? It seems obvious to me that the one that is still in the handwritten notes stage will get the new affiliation and that the ones under revision won't. So somewhere in between is a line.   Where is it?  There are some similar questions so far (see  and  but they do not seem to be quite the same situation since I am not changing fields and the appointments are not concurrent. How I can prove that the sequence $\sqrt{2} , \sqrt{2\sqrt{2}}, \sqrt{2\sqrt{2\sqrt{2}}}$ converges to 2? Prove that the sequence $\sqrt{2} , \sqrt{2\sqrt{2}},  \sqrt{2\sqrt{2\sqrt{2}}} \ $ converges to $2$.   My attempt  I proved that the sequence is increasing and bounded by $2$, can anyone help me show that the sequence converges to $2$? Thanks for your help. For any two sets $A,B$ , $|A|\leq|B|$ or $|B|\leq|A|$ Let $A,B$ be any two sets. I really think that the statement $|A|\leq|B|$ or $|B|\leq|A|$ is true. Formally:     $$\forall A\forall B[\,|A|\leq|B| \lor\ |B|\leq|A|\,]$$   If this statement is true, what is the proof ? I have asked more than 100 questions on SO. The problem with asking so many questions is that it's sometimes very hard to navigate to the question I want.  Is there any way to improve the interface further? The number of labelled graphs with all vertices of even degree I have a graph exam tomorrow, and there is a problem that said number of graph with labeled vertices and all of them of even degree is $ 2^{n-1 \choose 2} $.  According to that topic, it means the number of cut spaces is $ 2^{n-1} $. Well, I don't understand what is cut space yet, and why its count is $ 2^{n-1} $ And don't  know why we should divide the total number of graphs by this! Jquery .click not firing I'm currently the proud owner of Frost the horse. What I want to know is, what will happen to him if I ride another horse?  Obviously nothing will happen as long as I have him in sight, e.g. I'll be able to ride Frost to make him my horse again.  Scenarios  But what will happen if, before I get back on Frost, I fast travel somewhere? Will he return to where I originally stole him, will he disappear forever, or can I own two horses simultaneously?  Ownership?  If he goes back to where I originally stole him, will I have to steal him again, and therefore never be his true owner again?  Two Horses?  The reason I'm asking is because I want to get Shadowmere (the Dark Brotherhood horse) while keeping Frost. Is it possible to do this, or will riding Shadowmere make me lose Frost forever?