What Is Random?: Chance and Order in Mathematics and Life by Edward J. Beltrami

Description: What Is Random? by Edward J. Beltrami In this fascinating book, mathematician Ed Beltrami takes a close enough look at randomness to make it mysteriously disappear. Those familiar with quantum indeterminacy assert that order is an illusion, and that the world is fundamentally random. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description We all know what randomness is. Or do we? Randomness turns out to be one of those concepts that works just fine on an everyday level, but becomes muddled upon close inspection. People familiar with quantum indeterminacy tell us that order is an illusion and that the world is fundamentally random. Yet these same people also say that randomness is an illusion: The appearance of randomness is only a sign of our ignorance and inability to detect the pattern.By applying mathematical thinking, mathematician Edward Beltrami removes much of the vagueness that encumbers the concept of randomness. You will discover how to quantify what would otherwise remain elusive. As the book progresses, you will see how mathematics provides a framework for unifying how chance is interpreted across diverse disciplines. Communication engineering, computer science, philosophy, physics, and psychology join mathematics in the discourse to illuminate different facets of the same idea.Thisbook will provoke, entertain, and inform by challenging your ideas about randomness, providing different interpretations of what this concept means, and showing how order and randomness are really two sides of the same mysterious coin.This second edition brings the question of randomness into the twenty-first century, adding compelling new topics such as quantum uncertainty, cognitive illusions caused by chance, Poisson processes, and Bayesian probability. An expanded technical notes section offers deeper explorations of a variety of mathematical concepts.On the first edition:I strongly recommend [What is Random?] 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. The American Statistician Back Cover We all know what randomness is. Or do we? Randomness turns out to be one of those concepts that works just fine on an everyday level, but becomes muddled upon close inspection. People familiar with quantum indeterminacy tell us that order is an illusion and that the world is fundamentally random. Yet these same people also say that randomness is an illusion: The appearance of randomness is only a sign of our ignorance and inability to detect the pattern. By applying mathematical thinking, mathematician Edward Beltrami removes much of the vagueness that encumbers the concept of randomness. You will discover how to quantify what would otherwise remain elusive. As the book progresses, you will see how mathematics provides a framework for unifying how chance is interpreted across diverse disciplines. Communication engineering, computer science, philosophy, physics, and psychology join mathematics in the discourse to illuminate different facets of the same idea. This book will provoke, entertain, and inform by challenging your ideas about randomness, providing different interpretations of what this concept means, and showing how order and randomness are really two sides of the same mysterious coin. This second edition brings the question of randomness into the twenty-first century, adding compelling new topics such as quantum uncertainty, cognitive illusions caused by chance, Poisson processes, and Bayesian probability. An expanded technical notes section offers deeper explorations of a variety of mathematical concepts. On the first edition: I strongly recommend [What is Random?] 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. The American Statistician Author Biography Edward Beltrami is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Applied Mathematics at Stony Brook University in Long Island, New York. His research interests include probability theory, mathematical biology, mathematical modelling, and many more. He is the author of several books on the applications of mathematics. Beltrami lives with his wife and several cats in suburban Long Island. He enjoys cooking, listening to music, and being a part-time wine critic. Table of Contents The Taming of Chance.- Uncertainty and Information.- Janus-Faced Randomness.- Algorithms, Information, and Chance.- The Edge of Randomness.- Fooled by Chance.- Sources and Further Readings.- Technical Notes.- Appendix A: Geometric Sums.- Appendix B: Binary Numbers.- Appendix C: Logarithms. Long Description (Not for distribution) 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 Godels undecidability theorem informs us that well 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, its 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. Feature Uses approachable mathematical ideas to explore what exactly makes something random Communicates the concept of chance in an accessible manner that encompasses a range of disciplines Includes in the second edition new coverage of quantum uncertainty and cognitive illusions, alongside expanded technical notes Details ISBN1071607987 Publisher Springer-Verlag New York Inc. Edition 2nd ISBN-10 1071607987 ISBN-13 9781071607985 Format Paperback Imprint Springer-Verlag New York Inc. Subtitle Chance and Order in Mathematics and Life Place of Publication New York, NY Country of Publication United States Short Title What Is Random? Language English DEWEY 519.2 DOI 10.1007/978-1-0716-0799-2 UK Release Date 2020-07-30 Pages 192 Year 2020 Publication Date 2020-07-30 AU Release Date 2020-07-30 NZ Release Date 2020-07-30 US Release Date 2020-07-30 Author Edward J. Beltrami Illustrations 31 Illustrations, black and white; XVIII, 192 p. 31 illus. Edition Description 2nd ed. 2020 Audience Professional & Vocational Replaces 9781461271567 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:129125618;

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