What Is Random?: Chance and Order in Mathematics and Life - Hardcover

Beltrami, Edward

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0387987371 ISBN 13: 9780387987378

Publisher: Copernicus, 1999

Synopsis

In this fascinating book, mathematician Ed Beltrami takes a close enough look at randomness to make it mysteriously disappear. The results of coin tosses, it turns out, are determined from the start, and only our incomplete knowledge makes them look random. "Random" sequences of numbers are more elusive, but Godels undecidability theorem informs us that we will never know. Those familiar with quantum indeterminacy assert that order is an illusion, and that the world is fundamentally random. Yet randomness is also an illusion. Perhaps order and randomness, like waves and particles, are only two sides of the same (tossed) coin.

About this title

Review

From the reviews:

THE AMERICAN STATISTICIAN

"In summary, I think that many readers with a strong interest in mathematics, statistics, physics, or other areas of science will find this book interesting and challenging. I strongly recommend it to all who are interested in science and would like to see how the ideas of both theoretical mathematics and statistics have been observed and used in real life throughout history."

MATHEMATICAL REVIEWS

"The book is nicely written and should entertain many readers..."

Synopsis

We all know what randomness is. We sometimes choose between options "at random", and if we toss a coin we know it will land heads or tails at random. But are events like these truly random? Randomness turns out to be one of those concepts, like "solid matter" in physics, that works just fine on an everyday level but mysteriously disappears once we move in to examine its fine structure. In this fascinating book, mathematician Ed Beltrami takes a close enough look at randomness to make it mysteriously disappear. The results of coin tosses, it turns out, are determined from the start, and only our incomplete knowledge makes them look random."Random" sequences of numbers are more elusive - they may be truly random, but Godel's undecidability theorem informs us that we'll never know. Their apparent randomness may be only a shortcoming of our minds. Mathematicians have even discovered a string of numbers that appears random - but when you reverse the string, it's completely deterministic! People familiar with quantum indeterminacy tell us that order is an illusion, and that the world is fundamentally random. Yet randomness is also an illusion. Then which is real?

Perhaps order and randomness, like waves and particles, are only two sides of the same coin.

Edition details

• Publisher: Copernicus
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0387987371
• ISBN 13: 9780387987378
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 221