Rilegato

ISBN 10: 0387987371 ISBN 13: 9780387987378

Casa editrice: Copernicus, 1999

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.

From the Inside Flap:

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 mysteriously disappears once we closely examine its fine structure. Using a mathematical approach, the author removes much of the vagueness that encumbers the concept of randomness and permits us to quantify what would otherwise remain elusive. Mathematics also provides a framework for unifying how chance is interpreted from the diverse perspectives of psychologists, physicists, computer scientists, and communication theorists. This book will provoke, entertain, and inform by challenging your ideas about randomness, providing different interpretations of what this elusive concept means. As the book progresses, you will see how mathematics, communication engineering, computer science, philosophy, physics, and psychology all contribute to the discourse by illuminating different facets of the same idea.

About the Author:

Edward Beltrami is Professor of Applied Mathematics and Statistics at the State University of New York at Stoney Brook. His professional interests are in the application of dynamical systems, including algae dynamics and blood clotting. He is also an ardent wine aficionado and writes for several wine publications.