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CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS A History Of The Mathematical Theory Of Probability : From The Time Of Pascal To That Of Laplace by Isaac Todhunter
Throughout his early life, Isaac Todhunter 1820-84 excelled as a student of mathematics, gaining a scholarship at the University of London and numerous awards during his time at St Johns College, Cambridge. Taking up fellowship of the college in 1849, he became widely known for both his educational texts and his historical accounts of various branches of mathematics. The present work, first published in 1865, describes the rise of probability theory as a recognised subject, beginning with a discussion of the famous problem of points, as considered by the likes of the Chevalier de Mere, Blaise Pascal and Pierre de Fermat during the latter half of the seventeenth century. Subsequently, the application of advanced methods that had been developed in classical areas of mathematics led to rapid progress in probability theory. Todhunter traces this growth, closing with a thorough account of Pierre-Simon Laplaces far-reaching work in the area.show more