Nahin Digital Dice

Computational Solutions to Practical Probability Problems
With a New preface by the author
ISBN: 978-1-4008-4611-5
Verlag: De Gruyter
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 288 Seiten

Reihe: Princeton Puzzlers

No detailed description available for "Digital Dice".

Autoren/Hrsg.

Nahin, Paul J.

Fachgebiete

• Mathematik | Informatik Mathematik Mathematik Allgemein Populäre Darstellungen der Mathematik
• Mathematik | Informatik EDV | Informatik Business Application Mathematische & Statistische Software
• Mathematik | Informatik Mathematik Stochastik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface to the Paperback Edition xiii

Introduction 1

The Problems 35

1. The Clumsy Dishwasher Problem 37

2. Will Lil and Bill Meet at the Malt Shop? 38

3. A Parallel Parking Question 40

4. A Curious Coin-Flipping Game 42

5. The Gamow-Stern Elevator Puzzle 45

6. Steve's Elevator Problem 48

7. The Pipe Smoker's Discovery 51

8. A Toilet Paper Dilemma 53

9. The Forgetful Burglar Problem 59

10. The Umbrella Quandary 61

11. The Case of the Missing Senators 63

12. How Many Runners in a Marathon? 65

13. A Police Patrol Problem 69

14. Parrondo's Paradox 74

15. How Long Is the Wait to Get the Potato Salad? 77

16. The Appeals Court Paradox 81

17. Waiting for Buses 83

18. Waiting for Stoplights 85

19. Electing Emperors and Popes 87

20. An Optimal Stopping Problem 91

21. Chain Reactions, Branching Processes, and Baby Boys 96

MATLAB Solutions To The Problems 101

1. The Clumsy Dishwasher Problem 103

2. Will Lil and Bill Meet at the Malt Shop? 105

3. A Parallel Parking Question 109

4. A Curious Coin-Flipping Game 114

5. The Gamow-Stern Elevator Puzzle 120

6. Steve's Elevator Problem 124

7. The Pipe Smoker's Discovery 129

8. A Toilet Paper Dilemma 140

9. The Forgetful Burglar Problem 144

10. The Umbrella Quandary 148

11. The Case of the Missing Senators 153

12. How Many Runners in a Marathon? 157

13. A Police Patrol Problem 160

14. Parrondo's Paradox 169

15. How Long is the Wait to Get the Potato Salad? 176

16. The Appeals Court Paradox 184

17. Waiting for Buses 187

18. Waiting for Stoplights 191

19. Electing Emperors and Popes 197

20. An Optimal Stopping Problem 204

21. Chain Reactions, Branching Processes, and Baby Boys 213

Appendix 1. One Way to Guess on a Test 221

Appendix 2. An Example of Variance-Reduction in the Monte Carlo Method 223

Appendix 3. Random Harmonic Sums 229

Appendix 4. Solving Montmort's Problem by Recursion 231

Appendix 5. An Illustration of the Inclusion-Exclusion Principle 237

Appendix 6. Solutions to the Spin Game 244

Appendix 7. How to Simulate Kelvin's Fair Coin with a Biased Coin 248

Appendix 8. How to Simulate an Exponential Random Variable 252

Appendix 9. Index to Author-Created MATLAB m-Files in the Book 255

Glossary 257

Acknowledgments 259

Index 261

Also by Paul J. Nahin 265

Über Autor(innen)

Paul J. Nahin is the author of many best-selling popular-math books, including Chases and Escapes, Dr. Euler's Fabulous Formula, When Least is Best, Duelling Idiots and Other Probability Puzzlers, and An Imaginary Tale (all Princeton). He is professor emeritus of electrical engineering at the University of New Hampshire.