The aim of this thesis is a translatological analysis of three major works of Czech literature: the play R.U.R. by Karel Čapek, the novel Babička (Grandmother) by Božena Němcová and the poems collection Maminka (Mother) by Jaroslav Seifert. The translations analyzed in this thesis were made by Kei Kurisu (one of the two R.U.R. translations, Babička), Chino Eiichi (the other R.U.R. translation) and Itaru Iijima (Maminka). I have based this analysis on two different concepts - one by Jiří Levý and the other by Peter Newmark. I focus on the translation phenomena typical for the individual literary forms (drama, prose and poetry) as well as on the phenomena that all three literary forms have in common (the instances of misunderstanding the original, the cases of interpretation (not) following the intention of the original author).

Dans ce travail, nous nous intéressons à deux questions. La première est de savoir si les champs de vecteurs non singuliers et géodésibles sur une variété fermée de dimension trois ont des orbites périodiques. La seconde, étudie les relations entre les feuilletages moyennables et les feuilletages dont toutes les feuilles sont Folner. L'idée commune dans ces deux problèmes est l'utilisation de pièges: un outil qui nous permet de changer un feuilletage à l'intérieur d'une carte feuilletée.<br /> <br /> Dans le premier chapitre nous abordons la première question. On dit qu'un champ de vecteurs non singulier est géodésible s'il existe une métrique riemannienne sur la variété ambiante pour laquelle toutes les orbites sont des géodésiques. Soit X un tel champ de vecteurs sur une variété fermée de dimension trois. Supposons que la variété est difféomorphe à la sphère ou son deuxième groupe d'homotopie est non trivial. Pour ces variétés, on montre que si X est analytique réel ou s'il préserve une forme volume, il possède une orbite périodique. <br /><br />Le deuxième chapitre est dédié à la seconde question. En 1983, R. Brooks avait annoncé qu'un feuilletage dont presque toutes les feuilles sont Folner est moyennable. A l'aide d'un piège, on va construire un contre-exemple à cette affirmation, c'est-à-dire un feuilletage non moyennable dont toutes les feuilles sont Folner. <br />Nous cherchons ensuite des conditions suffisantes sur le feuilletage pour que l'énoncé de R. Brooks soit valable. Comme suggéré par V. A. Kaimanovich, une possibilité est supposer que le feuilletage soit minimal. On montre que cette hypothèse est suffisante en utilisant un théorème de D. Cass que décrit les feuilles minimales.

Le résultat principal est une caractérisation homotopique des orbifolds de dimension 3 qui sont fibrés de Seifert : si O est un orbifold de dimension 3 fermé, orientable et petit dont le groupe fondamental admet un sous-groupe infini cyclique normal, alors O est de Seifert. Ce théorème généralise un résultat de Scott, Mess, Tukia, Gabai et Casson-Jungreis pour les variétés. Il repose sur une caractérisation des groupes de surfaces virtuels comme groupes quasi-isométriques à un plan riemannien complet. D'autres résultats sur les quasi-isométries entre groupes et surfaces sont obtenus.

This thesis gives an interpretation of the image of Viktorka, a female character in Bozena Nemcova's Babicka ('The Grandmother'), as an autonomous thematic antagonism able to communicate with the reader, by means of text, with a similar power to that of the traditionally prioritised image of the grandmother. The reason why the topic of Viktorka was neglected lay in the fact that for a long time the professional acceptance of this work tended much more towards the idyllic, or idyll-making, approach. This, however, is only one of the interpretational approaches or, more exactly, only one side. The other side, relatively overlooked until recently, is the space the author gave to the character of Viktorka. The narrative and semantic structure of this work shows the topical duality of human love which actually rather separates the text of Babicka, and emphasises the antagonisms of these two female characters rather than softening their contours. This thematic emphasis, in the opinion of the author of this thesis, is supported primarily by the contextual relationship of space and time which for the reader transpose into the present babicka's "happiness" as well as Viktorka's "misfortune". The interpretation presented in this thesis consists of four parts. The first and second relate to the book by Bozena Nemcova,...

Petal diagrams of knots are projections of knots to the plane such that the diagram has exactly one crossing. Petal diagrams offer a convenient and combinatorial way of representing knots via their associated petal permutation. In this thesis we study the fundamental group and Seifert surfaces of knots in petal form. Using the Seifert-Van Kampen theorem, we give a group presentation of the fundamental group of the knot complement of a knot in petal form. We then discuss Seifert surfaces and use decomposition diagrams to represent the Seifert surfaces of knots in petal form. We finally give an algorithm to produce a set of decomposition diagrams for a spanning surface of a knot in petal form and prove that for incompressible surfaces such decomposition diagrams are unique up to perturbation moves.

O presente trabalho é uma apresentação de aplicações de estruturas da álgebra de dimensões altas para a teoria de homotopia. Mais precisamente mostramos que existe uma equivalência entre as categorias dos cat$^n$-grupos e a dos $n$-cubos cruzados de grupos, ambas equivalentes a categoria das $n$-categorias estritas internas à categoria de grupos, e uma certa subcategoria da categoria dos $n$-cubos fibrantes, os chamados $n$-cubos de Eilenberg-MacLane. Além disso existe uma equivalência entre uma localização dessa subcategoria e a categoria homotópica dos $(n+1)$-tipos homotópicos, o que sugere a utilidade de usar as estruturas algébricas apresentadas como invariantes topológicas. O teorema central dessa teoria, o teorema generalizado de Seifert-van Kampen, diz que o funtor dos $n$-cubos de fibração aos cat$^n$-grupos usado para mostrar a equivalência mencionada preserva o colimite de certos diagramas e que nesses casos conectividade é preservada, o que permite certas computações. Apresentaremos definições das estruturas algébricas mencionadas além de como calcular certos colimites na categoria de $n$-cubos cruzados de grupos, demonstraremos os teoremas principais da teoria e mostramos como usar esses resultados para generalizar resultados clássicos da topologia algébrica como o teorema de Blakers-Massey, o teorema de Hurewicz e a fórmula de Hopf para homologia de grupos. / The present work is a presentation of applications to homotopy theory of structures in higher dimensional algebra. More precisely we show how the categories of crossed $n$-cubes of groups and of cat$^n$-groups, both equivalent to the category of strict $n$-categories internal to the category of groups, are equivalent to a subcategory of the category of fibrant $n$-cubes, namely the Eilenberg-MacLane $n$-cubes. There is also an equivalence between a localization of the category of Eilenberg-MacLane $n$-cubes and the homotopy category of homotopy $(n+1)$-types, which suggests the usefulness of the presented algebraic structures as topological invariants. The central theorem of this theory, the generalized Seifert-van Kampen theorem, states that the functor from $n$-cube of fibrations to the cat$^n$-groups used to show the aforementioned equivalence preserves the colimit of certain diagrams, and in these cases connectivity is preserved, which permits some computations. We present definitions of the relevant algebraic structures and also how to calculate certain colimits in the category of crossed $n$-cubes of groups, we demonstrate the main theorems of the theory and then we show how to generalize classical results in algebraic topology like the Blakers-Massey theorem, Hurewicz theorem and Hopf\'s formula for the homology of groups.

O presente trabalho é uma apresentação de aplicações de estruturas da álgebra de dimensões altas para a teoria de homotopia. Mais precisamente mostramos que existe uma equivalência entre as categorias dos cat$^n$-grupos e a dos $n$-cubos cruzados de grupos, ambas equivalentes a categoria das $n$-categorias estritas internas à categoria de grupos, e uma certa subcategoria da categoria dos $n$-cubos fibrantes, os chamados $n$-cubos de Eilenberg-MacLane. Além disso existe uma equivalência entre uma localização dessa subcategoria e a categoria homotópica dos $(n+1)$-tipos homotópicos, o que sugere a utilidade de usar as estruturas algébricas apresentadas como invariantes topológicas. O teorema central dessa teoria, o teorema generalizado de Seifert-van Kampen, diz que o funtor dos $n$-cubos de fibração aos cat$^n$-grupos usado para mostrar a equivalência mencionada preserva o colimite de certos diagramas e que nesses casos conectividade é preservada, o que permite certas computações. Apresentaremos definições das estruturas algébricas mencionadas além de como calcular certos colimites na categoria de $n$-cubos cruzados de grupos, demonstraremos os teoremas principais da teoria e mostramos como usar esses resultados para generalizar resultados clássicos da topologia algébrica como o teorema de Blakers-Massey, o teorema de Hurewicz e a fórmula de Hopf para homologia de grupos. / The present work is a presentation of applications to homotopy theory of structures in higher dimensional algebra. More precisely we show how the categories of crossed $n$-cubes of groups and of cat$^n$-groups, both equivalent to the category of strict $n$-categories internal to the category of groups, are equivalent to a subcategory of the category of fibrant $n$-cubes, namely the Eilenberg-MacLane $n$-cubes. There is also an equivalence between a localization of the category of Eilenberg-MacLane $n$-cubes and the homotopy category of homotopy $(n+1)$-types, which suggests the usefulness of the presented algebraic structures as topological invariants. The central theorem of this theory, the generalized Seifert-van Kampen theorem, states that the functor from $n$-cube of fibrations to the cat$^n$-groups used to show the aforementioned equivalence preserves the colimit of certain diagrams, and in these cases connectivity is preserved, which permits some computations. We present definitions of the relevant algebraic structures and also how to calculate certain colimits in the category of crossed $n$-cubes of groups, we demonstrate the main theorems of the theory and then we show how to generalize classical results in algebraic topology like the Blakers-Massey theorem, Hurewicz theorem and Hopf\'s formula for the homology of groups.

We study Seifert surfaces for links, and in particular the Kakimizu complex MS(L) of a link L, which is a simplicial complex that records the structure of the set of taut Seifert surfaces for L. First we study a connection between the reduced Alexander polynomial of a link and the uniqueness of taut Seifert surfaces. Specifically, we reprove and extend a particular case of a result of Juhasz, using very different methods, showing that if a non-split homogeneous link has a reduced Alexander polynomial whose constant term has modulus at most 3 then the link has a unique incompressible Seifert surface. More generally we see that this constant term controls the structure of any non-split homogeneous link. Next we give a complete proof of results stated by Hirasawa and Sakuma, describing explicitly the Kakimizu complex of any non-split, prime, special alternating link. We then calculate the form of the Kakimizu complex of a connected sum of two non-fibred links in terms of the Kakimizu complex of each of the two links. This has previously been done by Kakimizu when one of the two links is fibred. Finally, we address the question of when the Kakimizu complex is locally infinite. We show that if all the taut Seifert surfaces are connected then MS(L) can only be locally infinite when L is a satellite of a torus knot, a cable knot or a connected sum. Additionally we give examples of knots that exhibit this behaviour. We finish by showing that this picture is not complete when disconnected taut Seifert surfaces exist.

The diploma thesis "The Poet Sings Poorly. The Media Response to The Song about Viktorka by Jaroslav Seifert in The Fifties of 20th Century" deals with the campaign set against the poet Jaroslav Seifert and his piece "The Song about Viktorka". The affair was raised by the communist weekly magazine "Tvorba". There is a critical historical analysis applied in the diploma thesis. The event is outlined from the wide perspective and also the medial, cultural-political, aesthetical and personality sights are viewed and combined there. It attends to the cultural, political and medial conditions in the turn of the 40s and 50s and it also analyses Seifert's position in this period. It investigates the acceptance of Seifert's poetic skills after the year 1948 and also it describes poet's political profile and his relationship to the communist party. It follows in details by broad circumstances which the critics of Seifert's poem "The Song about Viktorka" provoked and which were extended until the inter-war period. It analyses the reviews of the mentioned Seifert's piece of work, its impact on poet's future life and the cultural area of the beginning of the fifties. The aim of the diploma thesis is to set a comprehensive view of the affair Seifert had to face up with. It can also be used as an example of...

This creative project creates a preservation plan for Dwenger Hall, located on the campus of Saint Joseph's College of Rensselaer, Indiana. The building was designed by the college's first president and constructed by students of the college in 1907-08. Vacant since 1998, the building is an excellent example of decorative concrete block construction. Because of its architectural and historical significance, the building merits the attention to develop an appropriate preservation plan.The plan contains a physical and social history of the building placing it in the historic context of Saint Joseph's College. The history includes early activities of the college with specifics on the construction and use of Dwenger Hall. The plan also includes a physical description of the building in its current state. The final sections of the plan describe the existing conditions, and prioritize recommendations for the preservation of the building.The recommendations for preservation are designed to preserve the building in three stages; immediate work, mothballing, and minimal general reuse requirements. The Plan's goal is to emphasize the value of this architectural and historical landmark by defining what makes it significant and how to preserve it for future generations. / Department of Architecture