Advance Praise for The Jungles of Randomness " Ivars Peterson is the clearest expositor of mathematics today. His new book takes a lively book at one of the hottest areas of mathematical research." — Paul Hoffman former Editor-in-Chief, Discover magazine " Ivars Peterson is the heir-apparent to Martin Gardner as the philosopher-king of mathematics for the public. The Jungles of Randomness is the brightest jewel in his crown so far. Another terrific book." — Julian Simon, Econom " In The Jungles of Randomness, Ivars Peterson finds a fascinating collection of circumstances where chance intervenes in our lives and in the world around us. Every reader, regardless of background, is bound to find something new and interesting in this book." — Robert Osserman author of Poetry of the Universe " When readers accompany Ivars Peterson on his expedition into the jungles of uncertainty, the one certain thing is that they will enjoy the trip." — William Dunham auth of Journey Through Genius A Selection of the Book-Of-The-Month Club Praise for The Mathematical Tourist " A top-notch survey … far from being old and musty, mathematics is alive, vital and vibrant, full of unanswered questions that Peterson makes accessible to non-experts." — Los Angeles Times " He plumbs such delicious arcana as knot theory, cellular automata, and surgery on manifolds. One can learn a lot from this book." — The New York Times

The mathematics and physics editor at Science News and author of several other popular science books leads readers along the border between order and chaos as it criss-crosses daily life. He explores such phenomena as flipping a coin, meeting someone with the same birthday, choosing cell-phone codes, and fireflies flashing in unison.
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Join acclaimed science writer Ivars Peterson on an adventurous trek through an exotic world of weird dice, fractal drums, firefly rhythms and chaotic amusement park rides, as he explores the wilds of randomness. A tricky, intriguing, even elusive concept, randomness affects our lives in an astonishing range of ways - from the fun of games we play and the noise that spoils the music we hear, to the ways viruses grow and atoms combine. Hidden rules and secret patterns lurk within apparently random events and chance encounters. How likely is it that a fair coin will land heads up ten times in a row? How often might you meet a stranger at a party who shares your birthday? Are there really ways to win at roulette or beat a slot machine? How does the gait of a horse differ from that of a cockroach? Peterson uncovers the answers to a rich array of such tantalizing questions, revealing the surprising, ambiguous boundaries between order and chaos. Along the way we also meet a host of characters, both charming and eccentric, who either made striking discoveries about randomness or were profoundly affected by it. There's the case of Williard Longcor, a man gripped with a passion for throwing dice, who meticulously records the outcomes of millions of tosses and helps correct the theory of the distribution of runs. And there's the tragic case of the brilliant novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky, who became addicted to the random spin of the roulette wheel. The "wandering mathematician" Paul Erdos drops in with his famous greeting "my brain is open", and the visionary architect Buckminster Fuller remarks on the similarities between his geodesic domes and the structure of viruses. The Jungles of Randomness offers a delightful journey into the exciting world of mathematical discovery and imparts a rare vision of the fundamental playfulness of mathematics in our lives.

Now available in paperback, this delightful trek into the wilds of randomness introduces exciting new discoveries, from the hidden rules governing games of chance to how the first molecules of life formed and how random numbers can protect sensitive information on the Internet. Along the way, popular author Ivars Peterson charts the ambiguous boundary between order and chaos and reveals the astonishing patterns so often hidden in apparent randomness.

Peterson's knowledge of and affection for mathematics comes through with every word.--San Diego Union Tribune.

Peterson is, in short, the math teacher everyone wishes they had in high school.--Publishers Weekly.

Peterson has honed his explanatory skills finely. He is a readable guide through the tangles of probability and random chance. The Jungles of Randomness will give some insight into one of the most fruitful areas where math meets practical living.--Christian Science Monitor.

The delightful trek through the exotic and powerful world of randomness.

Popular math author Ivars Peterson leads readers on an exciting foray into the wilds of randomness, introducing exciting new discoveries--from hidden rules governing games of chance to how the first molecules of life formed and how random numbers can protect sensitive information on the Internet. Along the way, he charts the ambiguous boundary between order and chaos, revealing the astonishing patterns so often hidden in apparent randomness as well as the startling randomness often embedded in apparent order.

Ivars Peterson (Washington, D.C.) is the mathematics and physics editor at Science News and the author of four previous trade books, including The Mathematical Tourist and Islands of Truth: A Mathematical Mystery Cruise.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 209-223) and index.