When you have a minute or two, you may enjoy checking out
http://www.innumeracy.com/
It is interesting reading (IMHO), and much of it applies to VP as
well, since we, in this group at least, thrive on probablility and
statistics.
.....bl
Innumeracy
bornloser1537 wrote:
When you have a minute or two, you may enjoy checking out
http://www.innumeracy.com/
A few comments on the website since I don't think it's immediately
obvious what it's all about:
The website appears to be inspired by the book of the same name, by
John Allen Paulos - a Philadelphia area mathematics professor at
Temple University.
ยทยทยท
------
Innumeracy (the book) discusses a general public failure to fully
grasp the mathematics of the world, leading to misconceived
expectations and less than rational choices (including the formation
of government policies). As "bl" suggests, this concept very much
comes into play in the casino.
The 200 pg. book (available from B&N for about $10) is written for the
layman and is a compelling read. (see: http://tinyurl.com/5e43w)
------
The website discussed by "bl", having no direct relationship to the
book or the author, provides links to various articles on related
themes. The links are regularly updated with new material.
A particular section of interest is "Nature of Chance", providing
links to articles on the subject of Probability. There are two links
here that I strongly recommend exploring:
The Layman's Guide to: Probability Theory,
http://www.probabilitytheory.info/
Straightforward discussions on some basic probability applications
that are among the most approachable I've seen. Included are some
gambling related topics including Kelly Betting.
Ask Dr. Math: FAQ -- Introduction to Probability
http://mathforum.org/dr.math/faq/faq.prob.intro.html
Ask Dr. Math: FAQ -- Permutations and Combinations
http://mathforum.org/dr.math/faq/faq.comb.perm.html
These two articles provide a basic discussion of the key concepts
whose grasp is necessary to calculate basic probabilities (such as
those associated with video poker) and puts those concepts within
reach of anyone with a decent grasp of high school math.
- Harry
--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "bornloser1537" <bornloser1537@y...>
wrote:
When you have a minute or two, you may enjoy checking out
http://www.innumeracy.com/It is interesting reading (IMHO), and much of it applies to VP as
well, since we, in this group at least, thrive on probablility and
statistics......bl
There are a number of causes of this problem, but in my mind, two
stand out:
1. The way mathematics is taught in schools, the tendency is to soar
to greater and greater heights of complexity and ABSTRACTION as the
student advances, rather than to teach him APPLICATIONS of what he's
already learned. IMHO it would be far more valuable to teach a high
school junior how to, for example, evaluate an insurance policy,
purchase a property mortgage, and do a household budget--all of
which can be done with 10th grade mathematics--than how to
renoberate the articulated cosine of an obtuse angle, or some other
such arcane crapola. After a while, a student will wonder where all
this is going---what use will all this be, he thinks, if I'm NOT
going to be an engineer or chemist or astronomer? Thus--his eyes
glaze over. He develops a distaste for mathematics in general,
because he cannot relate it to his actual LIFE. (Personally, since
my final exam in Calculus 102, I have NEVER---repeat, NEVER---taken
the derivative of a function. And you know what? I haven't missed
it. So in my case, at least, that entire year's class was an utter
waste of time.)
2. Despite our posturing as a rational, science-driven, thinking
society, there is still a firmly entrenched cultural belief in the
mystical and spiritual "worlds". People may profess not to believe
in things like faeries and elves and lucky rabbit's feet and "God",
but deep down they still believe in the irrational, because it's
more comforting than what science has to offer. Science freely
admits that it doesn't have all the answers to the problems of
existence and the origin and future of the universe. Religion, to
name one irrational belief system, admits no such weakness; it
attempts to tender an explanation for EVERYTHING. This is much more
comforting and satisfying (if you can manage to ignore what a
steamin' heap of hooey those explanations ARE) than the scientific,
rational point of view. In short, sitting down and using collected
data to find out where the fish are likely to be before going
fishing, is so MUCH harder than just praying to the Fish God to
bless your fishing rod.
From the gambling point of view, look at how many people don't
bother to gather the easily available data that will enable them to
have the best chance of winning, instead trying to propitiate "luck"
or "god" or whatever nonexistent mystical force they think will help
them win.
The point of all this is, people shy away from acquiring number
sense because using numbers to evaluate and make decisions is more
work, and perhaps less satisfying, than applying irrationality, and
the way we teach rationality and science in schools certainly
doesn't help.
(Personally, since my final exam in Calculus 102,
I have NEVER---repeat, NEVER---taken the derivative
of a function. And you know what? I haven't missed
it. So in my case, at least, that entire year's
class was an utter waste of time.)
I'm not picking a fight here, but I would point out that exposure to
any knowledge is never a waste. Even if you never "applied"
calculus in your personal or professional life you were able to
compose the message above referencing it based on your education.
There are many liberal arts majors who have no idea what the
term, "taken the derivative of a function" means. These same very
smart people probably don't know how the words, derivative or
integral (in their non-mathmatical application) developed.
--- In vpFREE@yahoogroups.com, "worldbefree22001"
<krajewski.sa@p...> wrote:
> (Personally, since my final exam in Calculus 102,
> I have NEVER---repeat, NEVER---taken the derivative
> of a function. And you know what? I haven't missed
> it. So in my case, at least, that entire year's
> class was an utter waste of time.)I'm not picking a fight here, but I would point out that exposure
to
any knowledge is never a waste. Even if you never "applied"
calculus in your personal or professional life you were able to
compose the message above referencing it based on your education.
There are many liberal arts majors who have no idea what the
term, "taken the derivative of a function" means. These same very
smart people probably don't know how the words, derivative or
integral (in their non-mathmatical application) developed.
You make a good point, although one runs into the law of diminishing
returns in cases like this; the resources of time and money are
finite, and you only have so much of both in college. I know the
idea behind forcing everyone to take a "well-rounded" curriculum to
get a degree is to avoid creating a bunch of super-idiot-savants who
can build a bridge, but can't balance their checkbook or write a
coherent letter, but for myself (an English major), I couldn't see
the necessity--or the utility--of forcing me to learn advanced
mathematics.
That said, the mathematics I learned the year BEFORE that---
statistics and probability---have been very useful in my
VP "career". So I can't rule out my calculus knowledge being useful
one day; perhaps I'll be aboard the Space Shuttle Mark III and the
entire flight crew will have the fish instead of the chicken, and
I'll have to land the thing while calculating orbital insertion
trajectories in my head.
I also agree with you--guardedly--about knowledge being
intrinsically valuable despite its having no immediately
apparent "practical" use.