* Chance Encounters * Why Resort to Chance? * When the Gods Played Dice * Figuring the Odds * Thought Games for Gamblers * Chance or Necessity? * Order in Apparent Chaos * Wanted: Random Numbers * Randomness as Uncertainty * Paradoxes in Probability * Notes * Bibliography * Index
Randomness explains probability and odds in an accessible way. This book puts risk and chance into perspective for the airline passenger and the lottery player alike. -- Henry Petroski, author of Invention by Design: How Engineers Get from Thought to Thing A careful and well-written treatment of an intriguing subject. -- Donald Goldsmith, author of The Ultimate Einstein Randomness tells us about chance by recalling the real history of probability and solving many of its engaging puzzles. Beginners will find themselves welcomed and well led. -- Frederick Mosteller, Harvard University
Deborah J. Bennett is Associate Professor of Mathematics, Jersey City State College, New Jersey.
Clearly, the computation of probabilities is not just an arid game…
As Deborah Bennett shows in her excellent little book on the
mathematics of chance, the concept has been controversial for
thousands of years… [Her] cultured and accessible book goes a long
way towards demystifying the science of probability and thereby
offers the reader a useful variety of conceptual tools with which
to probe the future and illuminate the present.
*The Guardian*
[Randomness] can most easily be described as a brief history of
chance… I can cheerfully recommend it to anyone who is a total
beginner when it comes to probability, what it means, why it is
desperately puzzling, and what it can do for us despite that… It is
fascinating to read about the pioneers of probability, such as
Pierre Simon de Laplace with his ‘normal distribution’—now more
familiar as the notorious bell curve—and Adolphe Quetelet, perhaps
the first to realise that there are statistical patterns in human
behaviour. And I applaud the blunt reminder that when it comes to
the real world the ‘normal’ distribution is actually highly
abnormal… My main criticism: it left me wanting more. A sequel,
please.
*Times Higher Education Supplement*
Chances are high that reading this book will clear up your
misconceptions about randomness and probabilities. In this very
entertaining little book, simply written but intended for careful
readers, some of the most common mistakes people make about chance
are carefully analyzed. While describing interesting aspects of the
mathematics of probability, the author takes frequent detours into
the history of humanity’s understanding (and misunderstanding) of
the laws of chance, touching on subjects as diverse as chance in
decision-making and the fairness of those decisions, gambling and
our intuitive understanding of chance, the likelihood of the
extremely rare, the existence of true randomness and how computers
have helped shape modern thinking about probabilities… An
insightful chapter is ‘Chance or Necessity?’ The question is very,
very old (determinism versus chaos), and the answer is not clear
even today. The author describes the problem beautifully: ‘Is
random outcome completely determined, and random only by virtue of
our ignorance of the most minute contributing factors?’ Einstein
grappled with this conundrum until his death and never ceased to
combat the idea that God could conceivably throw dice… Whether
well-educated in mathematics or not, people have always been
fascinated by randomness and intrigued by the fundamental question
of the real nature of randomness, of how you can tell randomness
from something that is not.
*American Scientist*
The great strength of this book is the way it uses history and even
prehistory of probability to chart its present territory and cast
light on its core point of contention: does true randomness exist
in nature, or is it only a psychological artefact?… Bennett’s
text…is like a café conversation between likable
cognoscenti…nothing could more provoke and excite the reader.
*New Scientist*
In this book, Bennett seeks to account for the centuries-long lapse
between early uses of chance in decision making and the more
technical studies of probability first undertaken in the
seventeenth century. At the same time, she explores the confusions
and misunderstandings about probability that persist today. She
argues that the notion of randomness played a crucial role in
inhibiting conceptual progress in probability and that it also
accounts for present-day struggles to come to terms with the
subject… Bennett’s book is written in a lucid, engaging style and
provides an entertaining introduction to some questions in
probability.
*Isis*
[A] sharp analysis of the way we assess probability in everyday
life.
*New Statesman & Society*
Randomness, by mathematician Deborah J. Bennett, was obviously a
labor of love. The result is an interesting book that combines a
well-researched, anecdotally presented survey of the history of
chance, probability and randomness along with some elementary
instruction in probability… It includes a wide-ranging and rich
bibliography that reflects the passion of the author for the
subject. Anybody interested in gaming, random numbers, the Monte
Carlo method and so on will find nice anecdotal descriptions of
these topics, together with detailed notes and references to the
bibliography for more detailed study. It is a good book to
have.
*Physics Today*
In 1996 Charles Hailey and David Helfand reported their
calculations of the odds of a commercial airliner being struck by a
meteor, in response to speculation about TWA flight 800… They
conclude that, in over 30 years of air travel, the probability that
a commercial flight would have been hit by a meteor big enough to
crash it is 1 in 10. This bit of probability trivia is an
indication of human beings continuous struggle to understand
probability and chance through the ages, and Deborah Bennett
captures the fascination with numbers in this pocket-sized volume.
The book is filled with…gems.
*Skeptic*
This volume is exceptionally readable. It takes away much of the
mystery of probability while adding to our sense of wonder.
*Wordtrade*
The fact that randomness, agency, and holiness can readily displace
each other in phenomenological explanations of human action is the
central concern that might draw students of consciousness to
Bennett’s book. Bennett does an excellent job, explaining and
drawing out the major questions that swirl around the
randomness–agency–holiness issue.
*Journal of Consciousness Studies*
[This book] examines randomness and several other notions that were
critical to the historical development of probabilistic thinking
and that also play an important role in any individual’s
understanding of the laws of chance. [It] addresses why, from
ancient times to today, people have resorted to chance in making
decisions; whether a decision made by random choice is a fair
decision; how to figure the odds; what role gambling has played in
understanding chance; whether extremely rare events are likely in
the long run; why some societies and individuals reject randomness;
whether true randomness exists; the view of randomness as
uncertainty; why even experts disagree about the many meanings of
randomness; and why probability is so counterintuitive.
*Journal of Economic Literature*
Mathematics is its own language, and sometimes it doesn’t translate
readily into other human tongues. But Bennett is brilliantly
bilingual, well able to put mathematical concepts into clear,
expressive English. Her topic is intrinsically fascinating, for who
has not felt buffeted by random events, and who has not sought to
see when the wheel of fortune may turn up good luck?… More than an
intriguing exploration of a peculiarly fascinating part of
mathematics, its coverage, ranging from ancient games of chance to
modern probability mind-games, makes it comprehensive as well as
compulsively readable.
*Booklist*
A clear and detailed examination of the role of pure chance, with
fascinating historical asides.
*Kirkus Reviews*
A careful and well-written treatment of an intriguing subject.
*Donald Goldsmith, author of The Ultimate Einstein*
Randomness tells us about chance by recalling the real history of
probability and solving many of its engaging puzzles. Beginners
will find themselves welcomed and well led.
*Frederick Mosteller, Harvard University*
Randomness explains probability and odds in an accessible way. This
book puts risk and chance into perspective for the airline
passenger and the lottery player alike.
*Henry Petroski, author of Invention by Design: How Engineers
Get from Thought to Thing*
[A] sharp analysis of the way we assess probability in everyday
life. -- Robert Winder * New Statesman & Society *
The great strength of this book is the way it uses history and even
prehistory of probability to chart its present territory and cast
light on its core point of contention: does true randomness exist
in nature, or is it only a psychological artefact?...Bennett's
text...is like a cafe conversation between likable
cognoscenti...nothing could more provoke and excite the reader. --
Simon Ings * New Scientist *
Chances are high that reading this book will clear up your
misconceptions about randomness and probabilities. In this very
entertaining little book, simply written but intended for careful
readers, some of the most common mistakes people make about chance
are carefully analyzed. While describing interesting aspects of the
mathematics of probability, the author takes frequent detours into
the history of humanity's understanding (and misunderstanding) of
the laws of chance, touching on subjects as diverse as chance in
decision-making and the fairness of those decisions, gambling and
our intuitive understanding of chance, the likelihood of the
extremely rare, the existence of true randomness and how computers
have helped shape modern thinking about probabilities...An
insightful chapter is "Chance or Necessity?" The question is very,
very old (determinism versus chaos), and the answer is not clear
even today. The author describes the problem beautifully: "Is
random outcome completely determined, and random only by virtue of
our ignorance of the most minute contributing factors?" Einstein
grappled with this conundrum until his death and never ceased to
combat the idea that God could conceivably throw dice...Whether
well-educated in mathematics or not, people have always been
fascinated by randomness and intrigued by the fundamental question
of the real nature of randomness, of how you can tell randomness
from something that is not. -- J.A. Rial * American Scientist *
[Randomness] can most easily be described as a brief history
of chance...I can cheerfully recommend it to anyone who is a total
beginner when it comes to probability, what it means, why it is
desperately puzzling, and what it can do for us despite that...It
is fascinating to read about the pioneers of probability, such as
Pierre Simon de Laplace with his "normal distribution"--now more
familiar as the notorious bell curve--and Adolphe Quetelet, perhaps
the first to realise that there are statistical patterns in human
behaviour. And I applaud the blunt reminder that when it comes to
the real world the 'normal' distribution is actually highly
abnormal...My main criticism: it left me wanting more. A sequel,
please. -- Ian Stewart * Times Higher Education Supplement *
Randomness, by mathematician Deborah J. Bennett, was
obviously a labor of love. The result is an interesting book that
combines a well-researched, anecdotally presented survey of the
history of chance, probability and randomness along with some
elementary instruction in probability...It includes a wide-ranging
and rich bibliography that reflects the passion of the author for
the subject. Anybody interested in gaming, random numbers, the
Monte Carlo method and so on will find nice anecdotal descriptions
of these topics, together with detailed notes and references to the
bibliography for more detailed study. It is a good book to have. --
Stephen Gasiorowicz * Physics Today *
The fact that randomness, agency, and holiness can readily displace
each other in phenomenological explanations of human action is the
central concern that might draw students of consciousness to
Bennett's book. Bennett does an excellent job, explaining and
drawing out the major questions that swirl around the
randomness-agency-holiness issue. -- T. W. Draper * Journal of
Consciousness Studies *
In this book, Bennett seeks to account for the centuries-long lapse
between early uses of chance in decision making and the more
technical studies of probability first undertaken in the
seventeenth century. At the same time, she explores the confusions
and misunderstandings about probability that persist today. She
argues that the notion of randomness played a crucial role in
inhibiting conceptual progress in probability and that it also
accounts for present-day struggles to come to terms with the
subject...Bennett's book is written in a lucid, engaging style and
provides an entertaining introduction to some questions in
probability. -- Patti Wilger Hunter * Isis *
This volume is exceptionally readable. It takes away much of the
mystery of probability while adding to our sense of wonder. * *
In 1996 Charles Hailey and David Helfand reported their
calculations of the odds of a commercial airliner being struck by a
meteor, in response to speculation about TWA flight 800...They
conclude that, in over 30 years of air travel, the probability that
a commercial flight would have been hit by a meteor big enough to
crash it is 1 in 10. This bit of probability trivia is an
indication of human beings continuous struggle to understand
probability and chance through the ages, and Deborah Bennett
captures the fascination with numbers in this pocket-sized volume.
The book is filled with...gems. * Skeptic *
Clearly, the computation of probabilities is not just an arid
game...As Deborah Bennett shows in her excellent little book on the
mathematics of chance, the concept has been controversial for
thousands of years..[Her] cultured and accessible book goes a long
way towards demystifying the science of probability and thereby
offers the reader a useful variety of conceptual tools with which
to probe the future and illuminate the present. -- Steven Poole *
The Guardian *
[This book] examines randomness and several other notions that were
critical to the historical development of probabilistic thinking
and that also play an important role in any individual's
understanding of the laws of chance. [It] addresses why, from
ancient times to today, people have resorted to chance in making
decisions; whether a decision made by random choice is a fair
decision; how to figure the odds; what role gambling has played in
understanding chance; whether extremely rare events are likely in
the long run; why some societies and individuals reject randomness;
whether true randomness exists; the view of randomness as
uncertainty; why even experts disagree about the many meanings of
randomness; and why probability is so counterintuitive. * Journal
of Economic Literature *
Randomness explains probability and odds in an accessible
way. This book puts risk and chance into perspective for the
airline passenger and the lottery player alike. -- Henry Petroski,
author of Invention by Design: How Engineers Get from Thought to
Thing
A careful and well-written treatment of an intriguing subject. --
Donald Goldsmith, author of The Ultimate Einstein
Randomness tells us about chance by recalling the real history of
probability and solving many of its engaging puzzles. Beginners
will find themselves welcomed and well led. -- Frederick Mosteller,
Harvard University
Mathematics is its own language, and sometimes it doesn't translate
readily into other human tongues. But Bennett is brilliantly
bilingual, well able to put mathematical concepts into clear,
expressive English. Her topic is intrinsically fascinating, for who
has not felt buffeted by random events, and who has not sought to
see when the wheel of fortune may turn up good luck?...More than an
intriguing exploration of a peculiarly fascinating part of
mathematics, its coverage, ranging from ancient games of chance to
modern probability mind-games, makes it comprehensive as well as
compulsively readable. -- Patricia Monaghan * Booklist *
A clear and detailed examination of the role of pure chance, with
fascinating historical asides. * Kirkus Reviews *
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