What are the chances of a game-show contestant finding a chicken
in a box? Is the Hanukkah dreidel a fair game? Will you be alive
ten years from now? These are just some of the one-of-a-kind
probability puzzles that acclaimed popular math writer Paul Nahin
offers in this lively and informative book.
Nahin brings probability to life with colorful and amusing
historical anecdotes as well as an electrifying approach to solving
puzzles that illustrates many of the techniques that mathematicians
and scientists use to grapple with probability. He looks at classic
puzzles from the past--from Galileo's dice-tossing problem to a
disarming dice puzzle that would have astonished even Newton--and
also includes a dozen challenge problems for you to tackle
yourself, with complete solutions provided in the back of the
book.
Nahin then presents twenty-five unusual probability puzzlers
that you aren't likely to find anywhere else, and which range in
difficulty from ones that are easy but clever to others that are
technically intricate. Each problem is accompanied by an
entertaining discussion of its background and solution, and is
backed up by theory and computer simulations whenever possible in
order to show how theory and computer experimentation can often
work together on probability questions. All the MATLAB(r) Monte
Carlo simulation codes needed to solve the problems computationally
are included in the book.With his characteristic wit, audacity, and
insight, Nahin demonstrates why seemingly simple probability
problems can stump even the experts.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!