In the early 1650s, a French aristocrat posed a gambling question to Blaise Pascal, one of the most brilliant scientists and philosophers of the time. To figure it out, Pascal wrote to his countryman Pierre de Fermat, arguably the greatest “amateur” mathematician of all time. The two men exchanged a series of letters that laid the foundation of what we know today as probability theory.
Pascal and Fermat: The Probability Pen Pals
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Product Description
In the early 1650s, a French aristocrat posed a gambling question to Blaise Pascal, one of the most brilliant scientists and philosophers of the time. But even Pascal needed help. The idea of seeing the future—even seeing a possible future—was so alien that he needed to discuss it with someone else. So he contacted his countryman Pierre de Fermat, arguably the greatest “amateur” mathematician of all time. During the course of several months, the two men exchanged a series of letters that laid the foundation of what we know today as probability theory. In those letters, they changed the world.
There’s a “Doing the Math” section at the end of the book so that readers can try working out the math themselves!
Titles in Series:
Edward Lorenz and the Chaotic Butterflies
Benoit Mandelbrot: Reshaping the World
Ada Lovelace: Programming the Future
Florence Nightingale: The Lady with the Diagrams
Pascal and Fermat: The Probability Pen Pals
David Blackwell and the Deadliest Duel
Additional Information
Weight | .6 kg |
---|---|
Dimensions | 11 × 8.5 × .45 in |
ISBN 13 | 9780898247060 |
Author | Robert Black |
Publisher | Royal Fireworks Press |
Format | Paperback |
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