The Jungles of Randomness: A Mathematical Safari Hardcover - 1997

From the publisher

"Peterson's knowledge of and affection for mathematics comes through with every word."--San Diego Union Tribune.

"Peterson is, in short, the math teacher everyone wishes they had in high school."--Publishers Weekly.

"Peterson has honed his explanatory skills finely. He is a readable guide through the tangles of probability and random chance. The Jungles of Randomness will give some insight into one of the most fruitful areas where math meets practical living."--Christian Science Monitor.

The delightful trek through the exotic and powerful world of randomness.

Popular math author Ivars Peterson leads readers on an exciting foray into the wilds of randomness, introducing exciting new discoveries--from hidden rules governing games of chance to how the first molecules of life formed and how random numbers can protect sensitive information on the Internet. Along the way, he charts the ambiguous boundary between order and chaos, revealing the astonishing patterns so often hidden in apparent randomness as well as the startling randomness often embedded in apparent order.

Ivars Peterson (Washington, D.C.) is the mathematics and physics editor at Science News and the author of four previous trade books, including The Mathematical Tourist and Islands of Truth: A Mathematical Mystery Cruise.

About the author