The first edition of this single volume on the theory of probability has become a highly-praised standard reference for many areas of probability theory. Chapters from the first edition have been revised and corrected, and this edition contains four new chapters. New material covered includes multivariate and ratio ergodic theorems, shift coupling, Palm distributions, Harris recurrence, invariant measures, and strong and weak ergodicity.

Students and teachers of mathematics and related fields will find this book a comprehensive and modern approach to probability theory, providing the background and techniques to go from the beginning graduate level to the point of specialization in research areas of current interest. The book is designed for a two- or three-semester course, assuming only courses in undergraduate real analysis or rigorous advanced calculus, and some elementary linear algebra. A variety of applications—Bayesian statistics, financial mathematics, information theory, tomography, and signal processing—appear as threads to both enhance the understanding of the relevant mathematics and motivate students whose main interests are outside of pure areas.

A comprehensive treatment, unique in covering probability theory independently of modern theory. New edition features additional problems, examples that show scope and limitations of various results, and enlarged chapters on laws of large numbers, extensions, and generalizations.

In this book the author charts the history and development of modern probability theory.

Suitable for self study Use real examples and real data sets that will be familiar to the audience Introduction to the bootstrap is included – this is a modern method missing in many other books

This study discusses the history of the central limit theorem and related probabilistic limit theorems from about 1810 through 1950. In this context the book also describes the historical development of analytical probability theory and its tools, such as characteristic functions or moments. The central limit theorem was originally deduced by Laplace as a statement about approximations for the distributions of sums of independent random variables within the framework of classical probability, which focused upon specific problems and applications. Making this theorem an autonomous mathematical object was very important for the development of modern probability theory.