From: Richard Carr Subject: Mathematical History (Of Manifolds) Date: Mon, 5 Jul 1999 18:37:05 -0400 Newsgroups: sci.math Long ago the long line used to be a manifold but, unfortunately for it, things changed. A group of topologists got together and decided to set forth paracompactness as a condition for being a manifold. So they drew up the papers and sent it out amongst all the topologists to get signed- as a means to end the divisions amongst those like themselves who didn't want the long line to be a manifold and those that did- and thus it finally came to pass that this referendum sided with the topologists and not the humble long line and the topologists' divisions were ironed out. This document is now part of mathematical history: it is called the Petition of Unity.