Ralph tell us all that you know: 1

1. Now I came to Berkeley to hear the good word,

An exciting new theory, or so I had heard.

Still Helen's convinced that it's all quite absurd,

So Ralph, tell me all that you know.

Chorus

Join in the chorus, sing out the song.

It's really quite short, so it won't take so long.

Pick up your glasses; fill them again.

Let's drink a toast to that congruence tame.

2. You must have a secret, please tell me the way

To keep theorems flowing on day after day

Is it that you're still thinking when we've hit the hay?

So Ralph, tell me all that you know.

3. I started to do an example last night

My alpha and beta just wouldn't go right.

But with Anchor Steam Beer my lattice got tight.

So Ralph, tell me all that you know.

4. Then I found a small minimal set over here

And it wasn't type 1 so I let out a cheer.

But what it all means still isn't quite clear

So Ralph, tell me all that you know.

5. Consider the fortunate congruence lattice,

With labels of 2 for modular status.

Its secrets will surely never get past us,

If Ralph tells us all that he knows.

6. The body of U disappeared without trace.

It's a pitiful tail, quite a disgrace.

A contentious algebra, the vacuous case.

So Ralph, tell me all that you know.

7. Avoid some sublattice which should be forbidden.

Discard some ideas which were being ridden.

Release the five types of algebras hidden.

And Ralph, tell us all that you know.

8. Right at the top in a sky of cerulean

Dwells type 3 know as Boolean

We climb to that summit hopefully an'

Trust that Ralph tells us all that he knows.

9. The night's getting on and this beer's getting stale

So tell me a minimal algebra tale,

With a good-looking body, the type to regale

And Ralph, tell me all that you know.

(This song was a collaboration of the participants of the Workshop on General Algebra and Lattice Theory held at Berkeley, California June 1986. Brian Davey designed the song and the melody. Additional verses were composed by William Rowan (verse 9), George McNulty (5), Harry Lakser (8), and Octavio Garcia (7).)