What is Random: Chance and Order in Mathematics and Life

Beltrami, Edward

ISBN 10: 0387987371 / ISBN 13: 9780387987378

Published by Copernicus (1999) no place given

About this Item

Very good in lightly edgeworn dust jacket First Printing hardbound.

Seller Inventory # BOOKS012395

Bibliographic Details

• Title: What is Random: Chance and Order in Mathematics and Life
• Publisher: Copernicus (1999) no place given
• ISBN 10: 0387987371
• ISBN 13: 9780387987378
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: 1st Edition
• Dust Jacket Condition: Dust Jacket Included
• Seller catalogs:
  • Mathematics

About this title

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.

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..."