How great is the probability of opportunity

Author: B. K. Holland
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-11-01
Features: Our lives are governed by probability, but what exactly is probability? In this book, the distinguished statistician and writer B. K. Holland takes us on a journey through the world of probability. Weaving together stories from real life—from the spread of the Black Death in medieval Europe and the number of Prussian cavalrymen killed by horse kicks to the results of IQ tests, Voodoo death curses, and why we queue to ride wooden horses at Disneyland—Holland captures the reader's imagination with astonishing examples of probability from everyday events. These probabilities profoundly impact our lives but are controlled by a single number. As Holland explains, even random events are subject to the laws of probability and follow what are known as statistical laws. He tells us how different fields such as insurance, the justice system, medical research, aerospace engineering, and meteorology have successfully applied these laws to achieve greater benefits. Whether you have only a vague memory of high school algebra or use calculus formulas daily, the examples of probability's influence in this book will amuse and surprise you. The translator of this book is Professor Chen Lin from the School of Foreign Languages, Jinan University. Professor He Bo from the College of College English Teaching, Wuhan University, participated in the translation of chapters.