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Li Zhizao ► Liberal Party I 1107
cized the political and intellectual climate of his time, though, and soon used ill health as a pretext to retire and live as a hermit.
Li Zhizao (b. 1565, Hangzhou, China—d. Nov. 1, 1630, Beijing) Chi¬ nese mathematician, astronomer, and geographer whose translations of European scientific books greatly contributed to the spread of Western science in China. In 1601 he met the Italian Jesuit Matteo Ricci, who bap¬ tized him in 1610. By engraving and printing numerous copies of Ricci’s world map, Li altered many Chinese views of world geography. Li and Ricci translated Christopher Clavius’s arithmetic primer Epitome arith- meticae practicae (1585; “Selected Arithmetic Methods”) as Tongwen suanzhi (1614). This book systematically introduced European-style mathematical notation, while Li included complementary elements from traditional Chinese mathematics. He also brought together and published a series of books composed by the Jesuits with Chinese help, Tianxue chuhan (1629; “First Collection of Writings on Heavenly Learning”), that included 20 Western scientific and religious titles.
Li Zicheng Vle-'dzii-'choqX or Li Tzu-ch'eng (b. Oct. 3, 1605?, Mizhi, Shaanxi province, China—d. 1645, Hubei province) Rebel leader who brought about the fall of China’s Ming dynasty (1368-1644). A former postal worker, he joined the rebel cause in 1631 following a great famine in the northern part of the country. In 1644 he proclaimed himself the first emperor of a new dynasty and marched on Beijing, which he took easily. His victory was short-lived; Wu Sangui, a general loyal to the Ming, called on the Manchu tribes to drive him out, and he fled north, where he was probably killed by local villagers. See also Dorgon.
liability, limited See limited liability
liability insurance Insurance against claims of loss or damage for which a policyholder might have to compensate another party. The policy covers losses resulting from acts or omissions that are legally deemed to be negligent and that result in damage to the person, property, or legiti¬ mate interests of others. It was principally the introduction of the auto¬ mobile that spurred the rapid growth of this form of insurance, which now extends to a great many activities in addition to driving, including mal¬ practice insurance for doctors and other professionals, marine liability for boat owners and operators, and product liability for manufacturers of consumer goods. See also casualty insurance, consumer protection.
liana \le-‘a-n3\ or liane \le-‘an\ Any of various long-stemmed, woody vines, especially of tropical rain forests, that are rooted in the soil and climb or twine around other plants as they grow upward. Lianas often form a tangled network, up to 330 ft (100 m) high, around and among the trees that support them.
Liao dynasty Vlyau\ (907-1125) Dynasty formed by the nomadic Khi- tan tribes in much of present-day Manchuria, Mongolia, and the north¬ eastern corner of China proper. The Chinese portion of the empire was governed on the Tang pattern, while the northern part was set up on a tribal basis. After the establishment of the Song dynasty (960-1279), the Liao carried out a border war for control of northern China. Eventually the Song agreed to pay the Liao an annual tribute. The Juchen, former subjects of the Liao, destroyed the dynasty in 1125 but adopted most of its governmental system. The name “Cathay” for China derives from Khitay, another name for the Khitan.
Liao Vlyau\ River River, Liaoning province and Inner Mongolia autono¬ mous region, China. The East Liao rises in the mountains of Jilin prov¬ ince and the West Liao in southeastern Inner Mongolia. They merge and flow southwest as the Liao to empty into the Gulf of Liaodong, after a course of 836 mi (1,345 km). The river’s drainage basin occupies 83,000 sq mi (215,000 sq km). It is navigable by small boats for about 400 mi (645 km) from its mouth.
Liaodong Vlyau-'duq\ Peninsula or Liao-tung Peninsula Pen¬ insula, extending from the southern coastline of Liaoning province, north¬ eastern China. It partly separates the Bo Hai (Gulf of Chihli) on the west from Korea Bay on the east. It forms part of a mountain belt that con¬ tinues in the Changbai Mountains; on the peninsula the range is known as the Qian Mountains. Near the southern tip of the peninsula lies the port of Dalian.
Liaoning \'lyau-'niq\ formerly (1903-28) Fengtian or Feng-t'ien Yfoq-’tyenV Province (pop., 2002 est.: 42,030,000), northeastern China. It lies on the Yellow Sea and is bordered by North Korea, Jilin and Hebei provinces, and Inner Mongolia. With an area of 58,300 sq mi (151,000 sq
km), it is the southernmost of the three provinces that form the region of Manchuria. Its capital is Shenyang. It has four main topographical regions: the central plains, the Liaodong Peninsula, the western highlands, and the eastern mountain zone. In 1932—45 it was part of the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo. Shenyang was taken by the Chinese communists in 1948. Liaoning is China’s most industrialized province, producing steel, cement, crude oil, and electrical power.
liar paradox Paradox derived from the statement attributed to the Cretan prophet Epimenides (6th century bc) that all Cretans are liars. If Epimenides’ statement is taken to imply that all statements made by Cret¬ ans are false, then since Epimenides was a Cretan, his statement is false (i.e., not all Cretans are liars). The paradox’s simplest form arises from considering the sentence “This sentence is false.” If it is true, then it is false, and if it is false, then it is true. Consideration of such semantic para- Doxes led logicians to distinguish between object language and metalan¬ guage and to conclude that no language can consistently contain a complete semantic theory for its own sentences.
Liard River Vle-ord\ River, northwestern Canada. Rising in the Yukon Territory, it flows southeast through British Columbia. It then turns north¬ east and empties into the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories, after a course of 693 mi (1,115 km). Its upper course has rapids and canyons; its lower course is navigable for small boats. It is named for the liards (poplar trees) along its course.
Libby, Willard (Frank) (b. Dec. 17, 1908, Grand Valley, Colo., U.S.—d. Sept. 8, 1980, Los Angeles, Calif.) U.S. chemist. He studied at the University of California at Berkeley and later taught there and at the University of Chicago and UCLA. With the Manhattan Project, he helped develop a method for separating uranium isotopes and showed that tritium is a product of cosmic radiation. In 1947 he and his students developed carbon-14 dating, which proved to be an extremely valuable tool for archaeology, anthropology, and earth science and earned him a 1960 Nobel Prize.
libel See DEFAMATION
Liber Augusta Ms See Constitutions of Melfi
Liberace \,lib-3-'ra-che\ orig. Wladziu Valentino Liberace (b.
May 16, 1919, West Allis, Wis., U.S.—d. Feb. 4, 1987, Palm Springs, Calif.) U.S. pianist. Born to Polish and Italian immigrants, he appeared as a soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at age 16. He began giving concerts in flamboyant costumes with ornate pianos and candela¬ bra, and though he occasionally performed with symphony orchestras, he built his career playing primarily popular music. Hugely successful, he hosted his own television variety series. The Liberace Show (1952-55, 1969), and appeared in films such as Sincerely Yours (1955). In later years he performed frequently in Las Vegas, Nev.