op diagram techniques for proving confluence in abstract reductions systems. The underlying theory gives a systematic and uniform framework in which a number of known results, widely scattered throughout the literature, can be understood. These results include Newman's lemma, Lemma 3.1 of Winkler and Buchberger, the Hindley Rosen lemma, the Request lemmas of Staples, the Strong Confluence lemma of Huet, the lemma of De Bruijn. ] 1998 Academic Press