Fluke: The Math And Myth Of Coincidence
by Joseph Mazur /
2016 / English / Kindle, EPUB
3.2 MB Download
What are the chances? This is the question we ask ourselves when
we encounter the strangest and most seemingly impossible
coincidences, like the woman who won the lottery four times or
the fact that Lincoln’s dreams foreshadowed his own
assassination. But, when we look at coincidences mathematically,
the odds are a lot better than any of us would have
thought.
What are the chances? This is the question we ask ourselves when
we encounter the strangest and most seemingly impossible
coincidences, like the woman who won the lottery four times or
the fact that Lincoln’s dreams foreshadowed his own
assassination. But, when we look at coincidences mathematically,
the odds are a lot better than any of us would have
thought.
In
InFluke
Fluke, mathematician Joseph Mazur takes a second look
at the seemingly improbable, sharing with us an entertaining
guide to the most surprising moments in our lives. He takes us on
a tour of the mathematical concepts of probability, such as the
law of large numbers and the birthday paradox, and combines these
concepts with lively anecdotes of flukes from around the world.
How do you explain finding your college copy of
, mathematician Joseph Mazur takes a second look
at the seemingly improbable, sharing with us an entertaining
guide to the most surprising moments in our lives. He takes us on
a tour of the mathematical concepts of probability, such as the
law of large numbers and the birthday paradox, and combines these
concepts with lively anecdotes of flukes from around the world.
How do you explain finding your college copy ofMoby Dick
Moby Dick
in a used bookstore on the Seine on your first visit to Paris?
How can a jury be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that DNA
found at the scene of a heinous crime did not get there by some
fluke? Should we be surprised if strangers named Maria and
Francisco, seeking each other in a hotel lobby, accidentally meet
the wrong Francisco and the wrong Maria, another pair of
strangers also looking for each other? As Mazur reveals, if there
is any likelihood that something could happen, no matter how
small, it is bound to happen to someone at some time.
in a used bookstore on the Seine on your first visit to Paris?
How can a jury be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that DNA
found at the scene of a heinous crime did not get there by some
fluke? Should we be surprised if strangers named Maria and
Francisco, seeking each other in a hotel lobby, accidentally meet
the wrong Francisco and the wrong Maria, another pair of
strangers also looking for each other? As Mazur reveals, if there
is any likelihood that something could happen, no matter how
small, it is bound to happen to someone at some time.
In
InFluke
Fluke, Mazur offers us proof of the inevitability of
the sublime and the unexpected. He has written a book that will
appeal to anyone who has ever wondered how all of the tiny
decisions that happen in our lives add up to improbable wholes. A
must-read for math enthusiasts and storytellers alike,
, Mazur offers us proof of the inevitability of
the sublime and the unexpected. He has written a book that will
appeal to anyone who has ever wondered how all of the tiny
decisions that happen in our lives add up to improbable wholes. A
must-read for math enthusiasts and storytellers alike,Fluke
Fluke helps us to understand the true nature of chance.
helps us to understand the true nature of chance.