"A complete catalogue of the writings of Sir John Herschel": v. 3, p. 220-227.

"A complete catalogue of the writings of Sir John Herschel": v. 3, p. 220-227.

There is a logical flaw in the statistical methods used across experimental science. This fault is not a minor academic quibble: it underlies a reproducibility crisis now threatening entire disciplines. In an increasingly statistics-reliant society, this same deeply rooted error shapes decisions in medicine, law, and public policy with profound consequences. The foundation of the problem is a misunderstanding of probability and its role in making inferences from observations. Aubrey Clayton traces the history of how statistics went astray, beginning with the groundbreaking work of the seventeenth-century mathematician Jacob Bernoulli and winding through gambling, astronomy, and genetics. Clayton recounts the feuds among rival schools of statistics, exploring the surprisingly human problems that gave rise to the discipline and the all-too-human shortcomings that derailed it. He highlights how influential nineteenth- and twentieth-century figures developed a statistical methodology they claimed was purely objective in order to silence critics of their political agendas, including eugenics. Clayton provides a clear account of the mathematics and logic of probability, conveying complex concepts accessibly for readers interested in the statistical methods that frame our understanding of the world. He contends that we need to take a Bayesian approach—that is, to incorporate prior knowledge when reasoning with incomplete information—in order to resolve the crisis. Ranging across math, philosophy, and culture, Bernoulli’s Fallacy explains why something has gone wrong with how we use data—and how to fix it.

Powerful problem solving ideas that focus on the major branches of mathematics and their interconnections.

This book is an outgrowth of a collection of sixty-two problems offered in the The American Mathematical Monthly (AMM) the author has worked over the last two decades. Each selected problem has a central theme, contains gems of sophisticated ideas connected to important current research, and opens new vistas in the understanding of mathematics. The AMM problem section provides one of the most challenging and interesting problem sections among the various journals and online sources currently available. The published problems and solutions have become a treasure trove rife with mathematical gems. The author presents either his published solution in the AMM or an alternative solution to the published one to present and develop problem-solving techniques. A rich glossary of important theorems and formulas is included for easy reference. The reader may regard this book as a starter set for AMM problems, providing a jumping of point to new ideas, and extending their personal lexicon of problems and solutions. This collection is intended to encourage the reader to move away from routine exercises toward creative solutions, as well as offering the reader a systematic illustration of how to organize the transition from problem solving to exploring, investigating and discovering new results.

Twenty-three mathematical masterpieces for exploration and enlightenment How can a shape have more than one dimension but fewer than two? What is the best way to elect public officials when more than two candidates are vying for the office? Is it possible for a highly accurate medical test to give mostly incorrect results? Can you tile your floor with regular pentagons? How can you use only the first digit of sales numbers to determine if your accountant is lying? Can mathematics give insights into free will? Edward Scheinerman, an accomplished mathematician and enthusiastic educator, answers all these questions and more in this book, a collection of mathematical masterworks. In bite-sized chapters that require only high school algebra, he invites readers to try their hands at solving mathematical puzzles and provides an engaging and friendly tour of numbers, shapes, and uncertainty. The result is an unforgettable introduction to the fundamentals and pleasures of thinking mathematically.