There is a widely held conception that progress in science and technology is our salvation, and the more of it, the better. This, however, is an oversimplified and even dangerous attitude. While the future will certainly offer huge changes due to such progress, it is far from certain that all of these changes will be for the better. The unprecedented rate of technological development that the 20th century witnessed has made our lives today vastly different from those in 1900. No slowdown is in sight, and the 21st century will most likely see even more revolutionary changes than the 20th, due to advances in science, technology and medicine. Particular areas where extraordinary and perhaps disruptive advances can be expected include biotechnology, nanotechnology, and machine intelligence. We may also look forward various ways to enhance human cognitive and other abilities using, e.g., pharmaceuticals, genetic engineering or machine-brain interfaces - perhaps to the extent of changing human nature beyond what we currently think of as human, and into a posthuman era. The potential benefits of all these technologies are enormous, but so are the risks, including the possibility of human extinction. This book is a passionate plea for doing our best to map the territories ahead of us, and for acting with foresight, so as to maximize our chances of reaping the benefits of the new technologies while avoiding the dangers.

Dies ist eine Einfuhrung in die Wahrscheinlichkeitstheorie - der Mathematik des Zufalls. In einer mehr oder weniger losen Folge von Kapiteln werden veschiedene Themen angesprochen: Ein Teil behandelt klassische Begriffe, wie Irrfahrten oder die Gesetze der grossen Zahlen, wahrend andere Kapitel zeigen, wie die Mathematik in aktuelle Forschungen, z.B. die der Evolutionsbiologie, eingreift. Anschaulich wird der Zusammenhang zur Spieltheorie erlautert.

Der Text widmet sich ausfuhrlich einigen der am meisten diskutierten Paradoxa der Wahrscheinlichkeitstheorie, deren Betrachtung zu lehrreichen Einsichten fuhrt. Einen wichtigen Raum nimmt auch die Perkolation und ihre Anwendungen ein, so wird zum Beispiel das so genannte "kleine Welt"-Phanomen mathematisch untersucht.

Das Buch ist in erster Linie als Zusatzlekture fur Vorlesungen zur Stochastik und mathematischen Statistik im Grundstudium an Universitat und Hochschule gedacht. Daruber hinaus gibt es Anregungen fur Gymnasiallehrer und ihre Schuler. Haggstroms Buch leistet fur die Wahrscheinlichkeitstheorie das, was Janichs fur die Topologie tut."

This text is ideal for advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate students. The author first develops the necessary background in probability theory and Markov chains before using it to study a range of randomized algorithms with important applications in optimization and other problems in computing. The book will appeal not only to mathematicians, but to students of computer science who will discover much useful material. This clear and concise introduction to the subject has numerous exercises that will help students to deepen their understanding.