Abstract
THIS volume contains Huygens's celebrated essay, “De ratiociniis in ludo aleæ,” and various minor mathematical papers of his earlier years. The theory of probability was founded in 1654, when a gambler who was interested in mathematics proposed to Pascal some problems connected with games of chance. Pascal corresponded with Fermat about one of these, the “problem of points,” to which he attached the greatest importance. Two players of equal skill want each a certain number of points to win; if they stop their game before it is finished, how should the stakes be divided between them? Pascal and Fermat came to the same result, but gave different proofs. In the following year Huygens was in Paris and heard of this, but he neither met Pascal or Fermat, nor received any information as to their methods.
Œuvres Complètes de Christiaan Huygens. Tome Quatorzième. Calcul des Probabilités. Travaux de Mathématiques Pures; 1655–1666.
Pp. v + 557. (La Haye: Martinus Nijhoff. 1920.)
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D., J. Œuvres Complètes de Christiaan Huygens Tome Quatorzième Calcul des Probabilités Travaux de Mathématiques Pures; 1655–1666. Nature 107, 4–5 (1921). https://doi.org/10.1038/107004a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/107004a0
