The Unfinished Game: Pascal, Fermat, and the Seventeenth-Century Letter that Made the World Modern

Devlin, Keith

ISBN 10: 0465018963 / ISBN 13: 9780465018963

Published by Basic Books, 2010

The book is complete and readable, with all pages and cover intact. Dust jacket, shrink wrap, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may have light notes, highlighting, or minor water exposure, but nothing that affects readability. May be an ex-library copy and could include library markings or stickers. Seller Inventory # BSM.Z674

Synopsis:

In the early seventeenth century, the outcome of something as simple as a dice roll was consigned to the realm of unknowable chance. Mathematicians largely agreed that it was impossible to predict the probability of an occurrence. Then, in 1654, Blaise Pascal wrote to Pierre de Fermat explaining that he had discovered how to calculate risk. The two collaborated to develop what is now known as probability theory,a concept that allows us to think rationally about decisions and events. In The Unfinished Game , Keith Devlin masterfully chronicles Pascal and Fermat's mathematical breakthrough, connecting a centuries-old discovery with its remarkable impact on the modern world.

About the Author: Keith Devlin is a Senior Researcher and Executive Director at Stanford's centre for the Study of Language and Information, a Consulting Professor in the Department of Mathematics, and a co-founder of the Stanford Media X research network. National Public Radio's Math Guy," he is the author of over twenty-five books. He lives in Stanford, California.

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Unfinished Game: Pascal, Fermat, and the...
Publisher: Basic Books
Publication Date: 2010
Binding: Soft cover
Condition: acceptable