Making good decisions under conditions of uncertainty - which is the norm - requires a sound appreciation of the way random chance works. As analysis and modelling of most aspects of the world, and all measurement, are necessarily imprecise and involve uncertainties of varying degrees, the understanding and management of probabilities is central to much work in the sciences and economics.
In this Very Short Introduction, John Haigh introduces the ideas of probability and different philosophical approaches to probability, and gives a brief account of the history of development of probability theory, from Galileo and Pascal to Bayes, Laplace, Poisson, and Markov. He describes the basic probability distributions, and goes on to discuss a wide range of applications in science, economics, and a variety of other contexts such as games and betting. He concludes with an intriguing discussion of coincidences and some curious paradoxes.
ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
By:
John Haigh (Reader in Statistics University of Sussex) Imprint: Oxford University Press Country of Publication: United Kingdom Dimensions:
Height: 174mm,
Width: 113mm,
Spine: 8mm
Weight: 128g ISBN:9780199588480 ISBN 10: 0199588481 Series:Very Short Introductions Pages: 144 Publication Date:18 May 2012 Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format:Paperback Publisher's Status: Active
1: Fundamentals 2: The workings of probability 3: Historical sketch 4: Chance experiments 5: Making sense of probabilities 6: Games people play 7: Applications in science and operations research 8: Other applications 9: Curiosities and dilemmas Appendix - Answers to questions posed
Reviews for Probability: A Very Short Introduction
An excellent and provocative introduction to a fascinating and underappreciated subject. Mathematical Gazette