Pascal and Fermat: The Probability Pen Pals

by Robert A. Black

In the early 1650s, a French aristocrat posed a gambling question to Blaise Pascal, one of the most brilliant scientists and philosophers of the time. But even Pascal needed help. The idea of seeing the future—even seeing a possible future—was so alien that he needed to discuss it with someone else. So he contacted his countryman Pierre de Fermat, arguably the greatest “amateur” mathematician of all time. During the course of several months, the two men exchanged a series of letters that laid the foundation of what we know as probability theory. In those letters, they changed the world.

Genres: Mathematics

106 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2019

About the author

A long time ago - well, in the 1980s - I was a college student who landed a job writing for Nickelodeon's hit children's TV show, You Can't Do That On Television. Today, I still write for the same age group, but with a lot less green slime.

More recently, I've completed my Mathematical Lives biography series with Royal Fireworks Press, with books from the series placing on the National Science Teaching Association's "Best STEM Books" list two years in a row. Currently working on new ways to teach STEM concepts through storytelling.

Reviews

[Jordan Novak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is perfect for middle school kids and up to make math more interesting and help understand the people who came up with mathematical concepts. Well written and great concept. Highly recommend.