Showing results for "Life" in Mathematics

Game theory means rigorous strategic thinking. It’s the art of anticipating your opponent’s next moves, knowing full well that your rival is trying to do the same thing to you. Though parts of game theory involve simple common sense, much is counterintuitive, and it can only be mastered by developing a new way of seeing the world. Using a diverse array of rich case studies - from pop culture, TV, movies, sports, politics, and history - the authors show how nearly every business and personal interaction has a game-theory component to it.

New insights from the science of science Facts change all the time. Smoking has gone from doctor recommended to deadly. We used to think the Earth was the center of the universe and that Pluto was a planet. For decades, we were convinced that the brontosaurus was a real dinosaur. In short, what we know about the world is constantly changing. But it turns out there’s an order to the state of knowledge, an explanation for how we know what we know.

Harvard geometer and Fields medalist Shing-Tung Yau has provided a mathematical foundation for string theory, offered new insights into black holes, and mathematically demonstrated the stability of our universe. In this autobiography, Yau reflects on his improbable journey to becoming one of the world’s most distinguished mathematicians. With complicated ideas explained for a broad audience, listeners not only get insights into the life of an eminent mathematician, but also an accessible way to understand advanced and highly abstract concepts in mathematics and theoretical physics.

In the 18th century, the British minister and mathematician Thomas Bayes devised a theorem that allowed him to assign probabilities to events that had never happened before. It languished in obscurity for centuries until computers came along and made it easy to crunch the numbers. Now, as the foundation of big data, Bayes's formula has become a linchpin of the digital economy. But here's where things get interesting: Bayes's theorem can also be used to lay odds on the existence of extraterrestrial intelligence, and on the biggest question of all: how long will humanity survive?

An accessible, light-hearted exploration into game theory. Haim Shapira describes what it is, why it is important, and how it can help us in our daily lives. This audiobook provides many humorous anecdotes and insightful examples of how our daily lives are affected by game theory. Game theory is the mathematical formalization of interactive decision-making - it assumes that each player's goal is to maximize his/her benefit, whatever it may be. Players may be friends, foes, political parties, states, or any entity that behaves interactively, whether collectively or individually.

Once you know how to see them, numbers are all around us - buried in the dimensions of buildings and encoding the data on our favourite gadgets. They’re a beautiful system of patterns and codes but also an essential tool that can guide our daily decisions, change our behaviour and even predict the future - if we can just learn how to use them right.

Nearly a hundred years after its publication, Kurt Gödel's famous proof that every mathematical system must contain propositions that are true - yet never provable - continues to unsettle mathematics, philosophy, and computer science. Yet unlike Einstein, with whom he formed a warm and abiding friendship, Gödel has long escaped all but the most casual scrutiny of his life.

Nathaniel Tilton was leading an ordinary existence in his early30s as a financial advisor in Boston. Then, without a destination in mind, he set out to experience life in more meaningful ways. His path was forged when he met famed MIT blackjack team member Semyon Dukach, who inspired Nathaniel to become a world-class blackjack player.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO COUNT? WHY ARE HUMANS THE ONLY SPECIES ON EARTH THAT CAN DO IT? WHERE DID COUNTING COME FROM? HOW HAS IT SHAPED SOCIETIES ALONG THE WAY? AND WHY DOES IT MATTER? Counting is an innovative, erudite, world-wrapping journey through humanity’s marvellous ability to impose...

In Simply Gödel, Richard Tieszen traces Kurt Gödel’s life and career, from his early years in tumultuous, culturally rich Vienna to his many brilliant achievements as a member of IAS, as well as his repeated battles with mental illness. In discussing Gödel’s ideas, Tieszen not only provides an accessible explanation of the incompleteness theorems, but explores some of his lesser known writings, including his thoughts on time travel and his proof of the existence of God.

At 20 years of age, Samuel Leach was studying at college. He appeared to be a typical student, but there was something different about him. While his classmates were engrossed in their studies, as well as their burgeoning social lives, Samuel was adding another facet to his education. He was teaching himself the science and art of trading. With nothing more than a boxer's heart and drive, Samuel turned £2k into £178k in his first year, and a few short years later, he rose to global renown by building his new enterprise to become a multi-million-pound trading business.

What part of memory is reliable fact, what part creative embellishment? Which favorite presuppositions are unfounded, which statistically biased? By conjoining two opposing mind-sets - the suspension of disbelief required in storytelling and the skepticism inherent in the scientific method - best-selling mathematician John Allen Paulos has created an unusual hybrid, a composite of personal memories and mathematical approaches to reevaluating them.

What Are the Odds? is your intro to understanding the hidden mathematics of everyday life. From coin flips to casinos, lightning strikes to love stories, this book walks the line between probability and poetry—bringing clarity to the chaos and calm to the randomness. Through twelve sharp chapters (plus a bonus finale), JJ cracks open real-life situations with statistical insight, humor, and heart. You'll learn why the coin isn't fair, why streaks are a lie, and how even your tiniest decisions might ripple through the universe in ways you’ll never see coming. No math degree required. No charts.

Are you fascinated by the laws of nature, quantum physics, and its basic concepts that seem meaningless? Quantum mechanics is a field that attempts to understand the behavior of subatomic objects using mathematical notions. The book explains uncertainty and time dependence by further elaborating on the principles of quantum states. It also describes the entanglement of particle and wave states, thereby offering interested listeners the possibility of understanding physics at a slower tempo.

Freakonomics showed how economic calculations can explain seemingly counterintuitive decision-making. Thinking, Fast and Slow helped listeners identify a host of small cognitive errors that can lead to miscalculations and irrational thought. In What the Luck?, statistician and author Gary Smith sets himself a similar goal, and explains - in clear, understandable, and witty prose - how a statistical understanding of luck can change the way we see just about every aspect of our lives.

A squared plus b squared equals c squared. It sounds simple, doesn’t it? Yet this familiar expression opens a gateway into the riotous garden of mathematics, and sends us on a journey of exploration in the company of two inspired guides, Robert and Ellen Kaplan. With wit, verve, and clarity, they trace the life of the Pythagorean theorem, from ancient Babylon to the present, visiting along the way Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, President James Garfield, and the Freemasons - not to mention the elusive Pythagoras himself.

In this episode of Tπ Talk, we delve into the fascinating world of intuition - that innate, unexplainable feeling that guides us in making decisions and navigating life's complexities. Intuition often serves as a silent but powerful compass, leading us toward choices that resonate with our inner selves and align with our deepest values.We discuss what intuition is and explore its mysterious workings - how it communicates subtle messages, sparks inspiration, and offers insights beyond logical reasoning. Through personal anecdotes and shared experiences, we reflect on how intuition has shaped ...