The Jungles of Randomness: A Mathematical Safari

Science News math and physics editor Peterson (Newton's Clock) knows his math--and he knows how to hook the math-phobic. He begins with games of chance, such as Chutes and Ladders and Monopoly, then walks the reader through applications of statistical math from music to medicine and nature to sports. In this delightful book, Peterson tames randomness with statistics. He makes math fun for the math-phobe and enthusiast alike by offering personal histories of often eccentric mathematicians and by employing well-chosen real-world examples to prove mathematical principles. An amusement park Tilt-A-Whirl offers a study in chaos theory, while fireflies provide an example of startling synchronicity. Peterson uncovers the hidden math in the mundane and, more importantly, he provides the delightful shock that comes with a deeper understanding of, and new way of looking at, our world. Counter-intuitive surprises abound, such as the fact that there is a 100% chance that, given a sampling of 366 people, at least two will share the same birthday, yet in the significantly smaller sampling of 23 people, there is a 50% chance that two will share the same birthday. Peterson is, in short, the math teacher everyone wishes they had in high school. Illustrations, some in color. (Oct.)