Probability and statistics
Explore mathematics articles on the theme of probability and statistics.
The calculus of probabilities according to Poincaré | Tangente
Poincaré is rarely associated with the calculus of probabilities. And yet his writings and teaching reveal much about his work and thinking on the subject. Although he did not revolutionize probability theory, he deserves credit for asking the right questions.
"Winter is coming" | Tangente
In France, the annual influenza epidemic generally occurs between November and April. Timing therefore appears crucial to understanding how the influenza virus spreads: this pathogen has a period during which it is transmitted more readily through the population.
Real-time mathematical modelling | Tangente
The current pandemic reminds us that mathematical models are built up in stages, from scientific assumptions and the available data. They are not objects in the real world, but abstractions. Their reliability can be established only by comparing them with reality.
The birth of epidemiology | Tangente
For more than three centuries, major pandemics have prompted statisticians to quantify mortality data and produce death forecasts. How has this helped reduce the impact of such disasters?
Epidemiological statistics | Tangente
Despite what its name suggests, epidemiology is a broad discipline. Its scope now extends beyond the study of infectious diseases to encompass all human diseases and disorders, whether chronic, genetic, environmental or behavioral, as well as accidents.
Covid: an equation with too many unknowns | Tangente
The Covid-19 pandemic took the world by surprise, both through its virulence and the speed of its spread. A wealth of statistics, sometimes contradictory, has been published. Governments have introduced measures that often differ from one country to another. A range of medical treatments is being used. Can mathematics help us make the right decisions?
Coronavirus Polymath project | Tangente
The mathematical community is joining the fight against the pandemic.
The 93: Covid hotspot or bad math? | Tangente
A figure published by the Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (Insee) and picked up by the media painted a catastrophic picture of public health in Seine-Saint-Denis (93).
Modélisation des écoulements d'air autour des éoliennes : équations de Navier-Stokes et simulations numériques
The energy sector needs advanced mathematical expertise. In wind energy, modeling airflow means grappling with the formidable Navier–Stokes equations. Numerical simulation draws on a variety of discretization techniques.
2019: a random year | Tangente
Randomness is the theme of the 2019 mathematical calendar published by Presses universitaires de Grenoble and edited by Ana Rechtman Bulajich.
Joseph Bertrand's probability paradoxes
Joseph Louis François Bertrand (1822–1900) is known for his research in analysis. Less well known is the remarkable book on probability that he published in 1889 (see
Expected value and its surprising paradoxes
Expected payoff is essential to rational decision-making, but tricky to use. Many paradoxes arise from misinterpreting what it represents. Casinos—and the unscrupulous people who encourage you to wager your money—understand this only too well...
Bayes' theorem: the star of web algorithms
If the Internet can now suggest books or holiday plans to you with remarkable accuracy, it is thanks to yesterday's researchers, who envisioned computing when computers barely existed. One remarkable figure stood out, though he remains far too little known: Thomas Bayes.
Statistical fluctuations: beware small samples
Extracting knowledge from a mass of homogeneous data is the province of statistics. Yet it is quite an art: the conclusions must be treated with care! Small fluctuations around the mean can invalidate an entire line of reasoning. Let us learn how to spot them.
Big Data and insurance: the value of massive datasets
The press sometimes claims that insurers' access to ever-larger databases will soon enable them to assess each customer's risk perfectly and set a perfectly tailored premium. This new paradigm might even spell the end of insurance itself! But is that really so?
Interpreting Big Data statistics correctly
Big Data's vast resources are exploited using algorithms based on statistics and probability. This explains both the successes and failures of this technology.
Data visualization: bring your data to life
Today's connected world generates a continuous stream of raw data. For anyone seeking to explore and interpret it through graphical representations, data visualization is the visible tip of the Big Data iceberg. The goal? To convey a message and make decision-making easier...
Rational behavior under risk: probability
Faced with a lottery offering two different prizes, people adopt different strategies. Why do some participants prefer a potential prize that is not the largest? Their choices depend on how each person conceives of probability—whether as a one-off event or one that will be repeated.
Poets talk to us about math… and vice versa
Mathematics and poetry are two ways of making sense of the world. Worlds apart? Not quite.
The mysteries of the Ishango bone | Tangente Magazine
The mysterious Ishango bone has not yet given up all its secrets