Probability: An Introduction with Statistical Applications, 2nd Edition

Preface for the Second Edition

I am pleased to offer a second edition of this text. The reasons for writing the book remain the same and are indicated in the preface for the first edition. While remaining readable and I hope useful for both the student and the instructor, I want to point out some differences between the two editions.

• The first edition was written when Mathematica was in its fourth release; it is now in its ninth release and while its capabilities have grown, some of the commands, especially those regarding graphs, have changed. Therefore, Appendix 1 is totally new, reflecting the changes in Mathematica.
• Both first and second editions contain about 120 graphs; these have been mostly redrawn.
• The problems are of primary importance to the student. Being able to solve them verifies the student's mastery of the material. The book now contains over 880 problems, 60 or so of which are new.
• Chapter 7, titled “Some Challenging Problems”, is new. Five problems, or sets of problems, some of which have been studied by famous mathematicians, are introduced. Open questions are given, some of which will challenge the reader. Problems are almost always capable of extension; the reader may do this while doing a project regarding one of the major problems.

I have profited from comments from both instructors and students who used the first edition. In a sense I owe a debt to every student of mine at Rose–Hulman Institute of Technology. Heartfelt Thank yous go to Sari Freedman ...