Symmetry and its Discontents: Essays on the History of Inductive Probability (Cambridge Studies in Probability, Induction and Decision Theory)

This volume brings together a collection of essays on the history and philosophy of probability and statistics by an eminent scholar in these subjects. Written over the last fifteen years, they fall into three broad categories. The first deals with the use of symmetry arguments in inductive probability, in particular, their use in deriving rules of succession. The second group deals with three outstanding individuals who made lasting contributions to probability and statistics in very different ways. The last group of essays deals with the problem of "predicting the unpredictable."