This is a translation of the fifth and final volume in a special cycle of publications in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Steklov Mathematical Institute of the Academy of Sciences in the USSR. The purpose of the special cycle was to present surveys of work on certain important trends and problems pursued at the Institute. Because the choice of the form and character of the surveys were left up to the authors, the surveys do not necessarily form a comprehensive overview, but rather represent the authors' perspectives on the important developments.

What is the role and meaning of probability in physical theory, in particular in two of the most successful theories of our age, quantum physics and statistical mechanics? Laws once conceived as universal and deterministic, such as Newton‘s laws of motion, or the second law of thermodynamics, are replaced in these theories by inherently probabilistic laws. This collection of essays by some of the world‘s foremost experts presents an in-depth analysis of the meaning of probability in contemporary physics. Among the questions addressed are: How are probabilities defined? Are they objective or subjective? What is their explanatory value? What are the differences between quantum and classical probabilities? The result is an informative and thought-provoking book for the scientifically inquisitive.

This book introduces the subject of probabilistic analysis to engineers and can be used as a reference in applying this technology.

Sinai's book leads the student through the standard material for ProbabilityTheory, with stops along the way for interesting topics such as statistical mechanics, not usually included in a book for beginners. The first part of the book covers discrete random variables, using the same approach, basedon Kolmogorov's axioms for probability, used later for the general case. The text is divided into sixteen lectures, each covering a major topic. The introductory notions and classical results are included, of course: random variables, the central limit theorem, the law of large numbers, conditional probability, random walks, etc. Sinai's style is accessible and clear, with interesting examples to accompany new ideas. Besides statistical mechanics, other interesting, less common topics found in the book are: percolation, the concept of stability in the central limit theorem and the study of probability of large deviations. Little more than a standard undergraduate course in analysis is assumed of the reader. Notions from measure theory and Lebesgue integration are introduced in the second half of the text. The book is suitable for second or third year students in mathematics, physics or other natural sciences. It could also be usedby more advanced readers who want to learn the mathematics of probability theory and some of its applications in statistical physics.

Mathematical Theory of Probability and Statistics focuses on the contributions and influence of Richard von Mises on the processes, methodologies, and approaches involved in the mathematical theory of probability and statistics. The publication first elaborates on fundamentals, general label space, and basic properties of distributions. Discussions focus on Gaussian distribution, Poisson distribution, mean value variance and other moments, non-countable label space, basic assumptions, operations, and distribution function. The text then ponders on examples of combined operations and summation of chance variables characteristic function. The book takes a look at the asymptotic distribution of the sum of chance variables and probability inference. Topics include inference from a finite number of observations, law of large numbers, asymptotic distributions, limit distribution of the sum of independent discrete random variables, probability of the sum of rare events, and probability density. The text also focuses on the introduction to the theory of statistical functions and multivariate statistics. The publication is a dependable source of information for researchers interested in the mathematical theory of probability and statistics

This book addresses some of the problems of interpreting Schrödinger's mechanics — the most complete and explicit theory falling under the umbrella of “quantum theory”. The outlook is materialist (“realist”) and stresses the development of Schrödinger's mechanics from classical theories and its close connections with (particularly) the Hamilton-Jacobi theory. Emphasis is placed on the concepts and use of the modern objective (measure-theoretic) probability theory. The work is free from any mention of the bearing of Schrödinger's mechanics on God, his alleged mind or, indeed, minds at all. The author has taken the naïve view that this mechanics is about the structure and dynamics of atomic and sub-atomic systems since he has been unable to trace any references to minds, consciousness or measurements in the foundations of the theory.

A self-contained, mathematical introduction to the driving ideas in equilibrium statistical mechanics, studying important models in detail.

In this fully revised second edition of Understanding Probability, the reader can learn about the world of probability in an informal way. The author demystifies the law of large numbers, betting systems, random walks, the bootstrap, rare events, the central limit theorem, the Bayesian approach and more. This second edition has wider coverage, more explanations and examples and exercises, and a new chapter introducing Markov chains, making it a great choice for a first probability course. But its easy-going style makes it just as valuable if you want to learn about the subject on your own, and high school algebra is really all the mathematical background you need.

Written by one of the best-known probabilists in the world this text offers a clear and modern presentation of modern probability theory and an exposition of the interplay between the properties of metric spaces and those of probability measures. This text is the first at this level to include discussions of the subadditive ergodic theorems, metrics for convergence in laws and the Borel isomorphism theory. The proofs for the theorems are consistently brief and clear and each chapter concludes with a set of historical notes and references. This book should be of interest to students taking degree courses in real analysis and/or probability theory.

This classroom-tested textbook is an introduction to probability theory, with the right balance between mathematical precision, probabilistic intuition, and concrete applications. Introduction to Probability covers the material precisely, while avoiding excessive technical details. After introducing the basic vocabulary of randomness, including events, probabilities, and random variables, the text offers the reader a first glimpse of the major theorems of the subject: the law of large numbers and the central limit theorem. The important probability distributions are introduced organically as they arise from applications. The discrete and continuous sides of probability are treated together to emphasize their similarities. Intended for students with a calculus background, the text teaches not only the nuts and bolts of probability theory and how to solve specific problems, but also why the methods of solution work.