The Unfinished Game: Pascal, Fermat, and the Seventeenth-Century Letter That Made the World Modern
| AUTHOR | Devlin, Keith |
| PUBLISHER | Basic Books (03/23/2010) |
| PRODUCT TYPE | Paperback (Paperback) |
Description
In the early seventeenth century, the outcome of something as simple as a dice roll was consigned to the realm of unknowable chance. Mathematicians largely agreed that it was impossible to predict the probability of an occurrence. Then, in 1654, Blaise Pascal wrote to Pierre de Fermat explaining that he had discovered how to calculate risk. The two collaborated to develop what is now known as probability theory -- a concept that allows us to think rationally about decisions and events. In The Unfinished Game, Keith Devlin masterfully chronicles Pascal and Fermat's mathematical breakthrough, connecting a centuries-old discovery with its remarkable impact on the modern world.
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Product Format
Product Details
ISBN-13:
9780465018963
ISBN-10:
0465018963
Binding:
Paperback or Softback (Trade Paperback (Us))
Content Language:
English
More Product Details
Page Count:
208
Carton Quantity:
32
Product Dimensions:
5.60 x 0.56 x 8.20 inches
Weight:
0.42 pound(s)
Feature Codes:
Index,
Price on Product - Canadian,
Price on Product,
Table of Contents,
Illustrated
Country of Origin:
US
Subject Information
BISAC Categories
Mathematics | History & Philosophy
Mathematics | Probability & Statistics - General
Mathematics | Game Theory
Grade Level:
College Freshman
and up
Dewey Decimal:
519.2
Library of Congress Control Number:
2008012222
Descriptions, Reviews, Etc.
publisher marketing
In the early seventeenth century, the outcome of something as simple as a dice roll was consigned to the realm of unknowable chance. Mathematicians largely agreed that it was impossible to predict the probability of an occurrence. Then, in 1654, Blaise Pascal wrote to Pierre de Fermat explaining that he had discovered how to calculate risk. The two collaborated to develop what is now known as probability theory -- a concept that allows us to think rationally about decisions and events. In The Unfinished Game, Keith Devlin masterfully chronicles Pascal and Fermat's mathematical breakthrough, connecting a centuries-old discovery with its remarkable impact on the modern world.
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Author:
Devlin, Keith
Keith Devlin is a Senior Researcher and Executive Director at Stanford's H-STAR institute, which he co-founded. He is also a Consulting Professor in the Department of Mathematics, and a co-founder of the Stanford Media X research network. NPR's "Math Guy," he is the author of many books, including "The Math Gene" and "Man of Numbers: Fibonacci's Arithmetic Revolution". He lives in Palo Alto, California.
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Your Price
$19.79