Edited by Richard Swinburne, Nolloth Professor of the Philosophy of the Christian Religion, Oxford; Fellow of the British Academy
Bayes's Theorem
(Hardback)
0-19-726267-8
Publication date: April 2002
160 pages, 234mm x 156mm
Description
Bayes's theorem is a tool for assessing how probable evidence makes some hypothesis. The papers in this volume consider the worth and applicability of the theorem. Richard Swinburne sets out the philosophical issues. Elliott Sober argues that there are other criteria for assessing hypotheses. Colin Howson, Philip Dawid and John Earman consider how the theorem can be used in statistical science, in weighing evidence in criminal trials, and in assessing evidence for the occurrence of miracles. David Miller argues for the worth of the probability calculus as a tool for measuring propensities in nature rather than the strength of evidence. The volume ends with the original paper containing the theorem, presented to the Royal Society in 1763.
Readership: Scholars and students of the philosophy of mathematics and probability
Contents/contributors
Elliott Sober: Bayesianism - its Scope and Limits
Colin Howson: Bayesianism in Statistics
Philip Dawid: Bayes's Theorem and Weighing Evidence by Juries
John Earman: Bayes's Theorem, Miracles and Theism
David Miller: Physical Probability and Bayes's Theorem
Richard Price: 'Essay Towards Solving a Problem in the Doctrine of Chance' by Thomas Bayes
G. A. Barnard: Historical Introduction
Timothy Gowers, Rouse Ball Professor of Mathematics, Cambridge University
Mathematics: A Very Short Introduction
(Paperback )
0-19-285361-9
Publication date: May 2002
Oxford Paperbacks 144 pages, Halftones and drawings throughout, 178mm x 111mm
A concise explanation of the differences between advanced mathematics and what we learn at school
Offers the reader an insight into such seemingly paradoxical concepts as infinity, the square root of minus one, and curved space
Tackles the sociological questions that arise regarding the mathematical community - e.g. 'Do mathematicians burn out at the age of 25?'
Clear and non-technical language throughout
The author received a Fields Medal for Mathematics in 1998, awarded for 'the most daring, profound and stimulating research done by young mathematicians'
Description
This book aims to explain, in clear non-technical language,what it is that mathematicians do, and how that differs from and builds on the mathematics that most people are familiar with from school. It is the ideal introduction for anyone who wishes to deepen their understanding of mathematics.
Readership: People who regret not learning more mathematics; people who are fascinated by popular science books, but are left wishing they understood them better; people contemplating doing a mathematics-related degree; people who would like to talk about mathematics in an informed way without having to learn technical details.
Contents/contributors
1 Models
2 Numbers and Abstraction
3 Proofs
4 Limits and Infinity
5 Dimension
6 Geometry
7 Estimates and Approximates
8 Frequently Asked Questions
Samir Okasha, Lecturer in Philosophy, University of York
Philosophy of Science: A Very Short Introduction
(Paperback)
0-19-280283-6
Publication date: May 2002
Oxford Paperbacks 144 pages, halftones and drawings, 178 mm x 111mm
Assumes no prior knowledge or formal scientific or philosophical education
Accessible, concise introduction
Written in a jargon-free style
Discusses the controversial 'science wars'
Many examples from social and natural sciences
Description
This Very Short Introduction provides a concise overview of the main themes of contemporary philosophy of science. Beginning with a short history of science to set the scene, Samir Okasha goes on to investigate the nature of scientific reasoning, scientific explanation, revolutions in science, and theories such as realism and anti-realism. He also looks at philosophical issues in particular sciences.
Readership: Students of philosophy, ethics, and science. General readers interested in science, its definition, history, scope, and difficulties, as well as issues in contemporary science, including philosophical problems in biology, physics, and linguisitics.
Contents/contributors
1 What is science?
A very short history of science
Does science have an essential nature?
Science and pseudo-science
2 Scientific reasoning
Induction and deduction
Hume's problem
Two types of inductive reasoning
Probability and induction
3 Explanation in science
The 'covering-law' model of explanation
Alternative models of explanation
Can science explain everything?
4 Realism and anti-realism about science
Scientific realism
Objections to scientific realism
Varieties of anti-realism
5 Scientific change and scientific revolutions
Explaining scientific change
Thomas Kuhn on 'normal' and 'revolutionary' science
Sociological accounts of scientific change
6 Philosophical problems in physics, biology and linguistics
Leibniz versus Newton on absolute space
The problem of biological classification
Is knowledge of language innate
7 Science and its critics
Is science a good thing?
Science and religion
The science wars
Fred Piper, Director of the Information Security Group and Professor of Mathematics, Royal Holloway University of London,
and Sean Murphy, Reader in Mathematics, Royal Holloway University of London
Cryptography: A Very Short Introduction
(Paperback)
0-19-280315-8
Publication date: May 2002
Oxford Paperbacks 176 pages, half-tones and drawings throughout, 178mm x 111mm
Subject of huge fascination: witness the success of Simon Singh's book The Code Book, and the Channel 4 series on the subject
The authors are both experts in the theory and practice of codes and their decipherment
Written in a fluid and lively style to appeal to the non-mathematical reader
Covers issues such as data protection, and applications of cryptography in modern technology
Takes the reader through the actual processes of developing codes and deciphering them
Description
A clear and informative introduction to the science of codebreaking, explaining what algorithms do, how they are used, the risks associated with using them, and why governments should be concerned.
Readership: General readers and professionals interested in codes and their applications, or the history of code-breaking
John Polkinghorne, Formerly Professor of Mathematical Physics at University of Cambridge
Quantum Theory: A Very Short Introduction
(Paperback)
0-19-280252-6
Publication date: May 2002
Oxford Paperbacks 144 pages, halftones and drawings throughout, 178 mm x 111mm
Central ideas of quantum theory presented entirely without mathematics
Author is a renowned authority in the subject, and is also known for his writings on science and religion
Accessible, concise, exciting introduction to a part of physics which has revolutionized our thinking about the world
Based on John Polkinghorne's very successful The Quantum World (several hundred thousand copies sold) - now completely revised and updated
Description
In simple language, without mathematics, this book explains the strange and exciting ideas that make the subatomic world so different from the world of the every day. It offers the general reader access to one of the greatest discoveries in the history of physics and one of the oustanding intellectual achievements of the twentieth century.
Readership: General reader interested in physics but frightened by the inherent complexity of the subject; students of physics courses, sixth formers, and first year university students.
Contents/contributors
1. Classical cracks
2. The light dawns
3 Darkening Perplexities
4 Further developments
5 Togetherness
6 Lessons and meanings