John Allen Paulos

John Allen Paulos sintió a finales de los años noventa, en pleno auge de las empresas «punto com», la irresistible atracción del mundo de la Bolsa. Invirtió dinero, especuló con acciones, se arriesgó

En este brillante ensayo, al alcance de cualquier lector, el matemático norteamericano John Allen Paulos nos revela cómo nuestra incapacidad para aprehender la ley de los grandes números, y todas las probabilidades que conllevan, desinforman politicas de gobierno, confunden decisiones personales y aumentan nuestra vulnerabilidad ante todo tipo de seudociencias.¿Por que sabemos tan pocas matematicas ? ¿Es voluntaria o no esa resistencia nuestra a comprender ese aspecto siempre mas presente en nuestra vida diaria ? ¿Cual es el coste social e individual de esta ignorancia ? Para que entendamos mejor sus argumentos sobre los grandes numeros y las probabilidades el autor recurre a divertidas y cotidianas anecdotas ilustrativas. Comprendemos entonces sin esfuerzo por que nos empeñamos en jugar a la loteria o en acudir a astrologos y adivinos, por que suspendemos viajes por temor a atentados terroristas, no sabemos cuadrar una cuenta bancaria o pensamos que poco importa un billon de pesetas de mas o de menos en los presupuestos del Estado, por que perdemos tanto tiempo en nimiedades y cometemos tantas torpezas evitables.Dejemos, pues, de ser anumericos, o analfabetos en matematicas, y veremos que, segun Douglas Hofstadter, autor de Godel, Escher, Bach (Superinfimos/Metatemas 9), nuestra sociedad seria totalmente distinta si cualquiera pudiera entender realmente las ideas de este importante libro () que podria constituir una autentica revolucion en la enseñanza de las matematicas. Y añade el gran Isaac Asimov : Inteligente analisis de las locuras que engendra la falta de comprension de la ciencia y de las matematicas.John Allen Paulos es en la actualidad profesor de matematicas en la Temple University de Fidalefia. Colabora asiduamente en distintos medios, entre otros The New York Times y Newsweek. Es autor de otros dos libros, Mathematics and Humor y Pienso luego rio (Madrid, 1987). La aceptacion de El hombre anumerico por parte del publico fue inmediatamente entusiasta, convirtiendo merecidamente este libro en un inesperado best-seller en el mundo entero.

L'autore si diverte ad esplorare il confine fra astrazioni filosofiche e preoccupazioni quotidiane. Alla base del lavoro e il tentativo di affrontare la logica, matematica e filosofica, dalla posizione del traduttore che, attraverso un linguaggio accessibile a tutti e attraverso l'arma del comico e del paradossale, riesce a far percepire il lavorio e l'armonia del pensiero. Animato dalla volonta di restituire, attraverso il riso, il rigore del ragionamento e di "rimontare", passando per parabole e giochi di parole, le piu ardue teorie filosofiche, l'autore usa massime e aneddoti come specchio dell'intelligenza umana e svela come dietro la risata dell'assurdo, si celi sempre una sequenza di snodi filosofici.

John Allen Paulos cleverly scrutinizes the mathematical structures of jokes, puns, paradoxes, spoonerisms, riddles, and other forms of humor, drawing examples from such sources as Rabelais, Shakespeare, James Beattie, Rene Thom, Lewis Carroll, Arthur Koestler, W.C. Fields, and Woody Allen. John Allen Paulos cleverly scrutinizes the mathematical structures of jokes, puns, paradoxes, spoonerisms, riddles, and other forms of humor, drawing examples from such sources as Rabelais, Shakespeare, James Beattie, Rene Thom, Lewis Carroll, Arthur Koestler, W. C. Fields, and Woody Allen. "Jokes, paradoxes, riddles, and the art of non-sequitur are revealed with great perception and insight in this illuminating account of the relationship between humor and mathematics."--Joseph Williams, "New York Times" "''Leave your "mind" alone, '' said a Thurber cartoon, and a really complete and convincing analysis of what humour is might spoil all jokes forever. This book avoids that danger. What it does. . .is describe broadly several kinds of mathematical theory and apply them to throw sidelights on how many kinds of jokes work."--"New Scientist" "Many scholars nowadays write seriously about the ludicrous. Some merely manage to be dull. A few--like Paulos--are brilliant in an odd endeavor."--"Los Angeles Times Book Review"

Paulos offers a hilarious account of how the stock market both follows and defies mathematical principals. He offers an engaging overview of everything from 'betas' to the efficient market hypothesis.

In A Mathematician Plays the Stock Market best-selling author John Allen Paulos demonstrates what the tools of mathematics can tell us about the vagaries of the stock market. Employing his trademark stories, vignettes, paradoxes, and puzzles (and even a film treatment), Paulos addresses every thinking reader's curiosity about the market: Is it efficient? Is it rational? Is there anything to technical analysis, fundamental analysis, and other supposedly time-tested methods of picking stocks? How can one quantify risk? What are the most common scams? What light do fractals, network theory, and common psychological foibles shed on investor behavior? Are there any approaches to investing that truly outperform the major indexes? Can a deeper knowledge of mathematics help beat the odds? All of these questions are explored with the engaging erudition that made Paulos's A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper and Innumeracy favorites with both armchair mathematicians and readers who want to think like them. Paulos also shares the cautionary tale of his own long and disastrous love affair with WorldCom. In the tradition of Burton Malkiel's A Random Walk Down Wall Street and Jeremy Siegel's Stocks for the Long Run, this wry and illuminating book is for anyone, investor or not, who follows the markets-or knows someone who does.

Paulos uses jokes, stories, parables, and anecdotes to elucidate difficult concepts, in this case, some of the fundamental problems in modern philosophy.

John Allen Paulos is a master at shedding mathematical lights on our everyday world:What exactly did Lani Guinier say about quotas?What is the probability of identifying a murderer through DNA testing?Which are the real risks to our health and which the phony ones?Employing the same fun-filled, user-friendly, and quirkily insightful approach that put Innumeracy on best-seller lists, Paulos now leads us through the pages of the daily newspaper, revealing the hidden mathematical angles of countless articles. From the Senate, the SATs, and sex to crime, celebrities, and cults, Paulos takes stories that may not seem to involve mathematics at all and demonstrates how mathematical natan put readers at a distinct disadvantage.Whether hes using chaos theory to puncture economic and environmental predictions, applying logic and self-reference to clarify the hazards of spin doctoring and news compression, or employing arithmetic and common sense to give us a novel perspective on greed and relationships, Paulos never fails to entertain and enlighten.Even if you hated math in school, youll love the numerical vignettes in this book.

Can a renowned mathematician successfully outwit the stock market? Not when his biggest investment is WorldCom. In A Mathematician Plays the Stock Market , best-selling author John Allen Paulos employs his trademark stories, vignettes, paradoxes, and puzzles to address every thinking readers curiosity about the market -- Is it efficient? Is it random? Is there anything to technical analysis, fundamental analysis, and other supposedly time-tested methods of picking stocks? How can one quantify risk? What are the most common scams? Are there any approaches to investing that truly outperform the major indexes? But Pauloss tour through the irrational exuberance of market mathematics doesnt end there. An unrequited (and financially disastrous) love affair with WorldCom leads Paulos to question some cherished ideas of personal finance. He explains why "data mining" is a self-fulfilling belief, why "momentum investing" is nothing more than herd behavior with a lot of mathematical jargon added, why the ever-popular Elliot Wave Theory cannot be correct, and why you should take Warren Buffets "fundamental analysis" with a grain of salt. Like Burton Malkiels A Random Walk Down Wall Street , this clever and illuminating book is for anyone, investor or not, who follows the markets -- or knows someone who does.

What two things could be more different than numbers and stories? Numbers are abstract, certain, and eternal, but to most of us somewhat dry and bloodless. Good stories are full of life: they engage our emotions and have subtlety and nuance, but they lack rigor and the truths they tell are elusive and subject to debate. As ways of understanding the world around us, numbers and stories seem almost completely incompatible. Once Upon a Number shows that stories and numbers arent as different as you might imagine, and in fact they have surprising and fascinating connections. The concepts of logic and probability both grew out of intuitive ideas about how certain situations would play out. Now, logicians are inventing ways to deal with real world situations by mathematical means -- by acknowledging, for instance, that items that are mathematically interchangeable may not be interchangeable in a story. And complexity theory looks at both number strings and narrative strings in remarkably similar terms. Throughout, renowned author John Paulos mixes numbers and narratives in his own delightful style. Along with lucid accounts of cutting-edge information theory we get hilarious anecdotes and jokes; instructions for running a truly impressive pyramid scam; a freewheeling conversation between Groucho Marx and Bertrand Russell (while theyre stuck in an elevator together); explanations of why the statistical evidence against OJ Simpson was overwhelming beyond doubt and how the Unabombers thinking shows signs of mathematical training; and dozens of other treats. This is another winner from Americas favorite mathematician.

For decades, New York Times best-selling author John Allen Paulos has enlightened readers by showing how to make sense of the numbers and probabilities behind real-world events, political calculations, and everyday personal decisions. Whos Counting? features dozens of his insightful essaysoriginal writings on contemporary issues like the COVID-19 pandemic, online conspiracy theories, fake news, and climate change, as well as a selection of enduring columns from his popular ABC News column of the same name.With an abiding respect for reason, a penchant for puzzles with societal implications, and a disarming sense of humor, Paulos does in this collection what hes famous for: clarifies mathematical ideas for everyone and shows how they play a role in government, media, popular culture, and life. He argues that if we cant critically interpret numbers and statistics, we lose one of our most basic and reliable guides to reality.

John Allen Paulos: Matematika-irakasle dihardu Filadelfiako Temple unibertsitatean, eta zabalkunde handiko hedabideetan ere parte hartzen du sarri. Dibulgatzaile-kezka horren ildo berean, adierazgarri dira argitaratu dituen liburuen izenburuak: Matematika eta umorea, Pentsatzen dut; beraz, barre egiten dut, Matematikari bat egunkaria irakurtzen, Matematikari bat burtsan jokatzen? Arrakasta bero bezain zabala bildu zuen berehala Zenbakirik gabe bizi saiakerarekin, eta hari zor dio, batez ere, mundu guztian duen sona.

Why do even well-educated people often understand so little about maths - or take a perverse pride in not being a numbers person?In his now-classic book Innumeracy, John Allen Paulos answers questions such as: Why is following the stock market exactly like flipping a coin? How big is a trillion? How fast does human hair grow in mph? Can you calculate the chances that a party includes two people who have the same birthday? Paulos shows us that by arming yourself with some simple maths, you dont have to let numbers get the better of you.

From the author of the national bestseller Innumeracy, a delightful exploration and explanation of mathematical concepts from algebra to zero in easily accessible alphabetical entries. "Paulos . . . does for mathematics what The Joy of Sex did for the boudoir. . . ."--Washington Post Book World. First time in paperback.

¿Existen razones lógicas para creer en la existencia de Dios? A lo largo de los siglos, la humanidad ha tratado de formular argumentos supuestamente basados en la razón para fundamentar la fe en un ser a primera vista todopoderoso, maximamente bondadoso y omnisciente. El matematico john allen paulos, que en anteriores ensayos ya nos habia guiado por el insondable mundo del analfabetismo numerico, se propone desenmascarar ahora los argumentos de los teistas, desde los clasicos "de toda la vida"", basados en definiciones y primeras causas, hasta los que presentan un aspecto mas moderno, centrados en la borrosa nocion del "diseño inteligente".Pero ¿por que las reflexiones de este tipo tienen que ser siempre tan solemnes y grandilocuentes? allen paulos no solo tritura las trampas y errores de razonamiento que se ocultan tras estas "pruebas" de la existencia de Dios, sino que lo hace con una ironia y un humor autenticamente contagiosos que, sin embargo, no nos llevan a olvidar aquella sentencia de Voltaire que afirmaba que quien nos hace creer en cosas absurdas pronto nos hara cometer atrocidades.

¿Hay algo más opuesto que los números y las historias de ficción¿Hay algo más opuesto que los números y las historias de ficción? Los números son abstractos, seguros y eternos, pero a la mayoría de las personas les parecen frios e inertes. Las buenas historias estan llenas de vida: nos involucran emocionalmente, aportan matices. . ., pero carecen de rigor y sus posibles verdades siempre son escurridizas y objeto de polemica. Se diria que para comprender el mundo que nos rodea, los numeros y las historias son metodos casi incompatibles.Erase una vez un numero nos descubre que las historias y los numeros no son tan diferentes como cabria imaginar y que en realidad estan relacionados de un modo sutil y fascinante. Los conceptos de logica y probabilidad surgieron de intuiciones sobre el funcionamiento de determinadas historias, y los logicos de hoy en dia se dedican a conjeturar posibles maneras de afrontar situaciones reales a partir de metodos matematicos. Incluso la teoria de la complejidad enfoca las cadenas numericas y las cadenas narrativas de manera parecida. En las paginas de Erase una vez un numero, John Allen Paulos tiende un puente entre las dos culturas con su peculiar estilo ingenioso y desenfadado. Ademas de lucidos resumenes sobre la mas actual teoria de la informacion, el lector encontrara por ejemplo, entre chistes y anecdotas divertidas, instrucciones para organizar el mastodontico timo de la piramide, una disparatada conversacion entre Groucho Marx

John Allen Paulos sintió a finales de los años noventa, en pleno auge de las empresas «punto com», la irresistible atracción del mundo de la Bolsa. Invirtió dinero, especuló con acciones, se arriesgó

Es indudable que aJorge Wagensberg, director deMetatemas, le gustan los libros deJohn Allen Paulos porque éste será ya el tercero que viene a enriquecer su colección. Pero la verdad es que su interés es compartido por muchos lectores, que han convertido sus libros anteriores en pequeñosbest-sellers. Y es quePaulos es unautentico maestro no solo en convertir las matematicas en una disciplina atractiva y viva, sino tambien enarrojar luz matematica sobrenuestro mundo cotidiano, que cada vez con mayor frecuencia se nos aparece tan enmarañado e inaccesible a toda comprension.Con la misma inteligencia, el mismo desenfado y el mismo humor con los que nos hizo comprender por que, si insistimos en permaneceranumericos, el complejo mundo que nos rodea acabara por escapar a nuestro control,Paulos nos induce ahora a leer matematicamente entre las lineas de unperiodico imaginario, rastreando la estrategia que hay detras de cualquier titular, y a percibir lo que hay de aleatorio en las muchas falacias que se ocultan tras ciertas noticias, ya sean de crimenes, atentados, acontecimientos politicos y economicos, chismes sobre famosos, sectas, partidos de futbol, riesgos para la salud y muchos otros temas que ocupan la prensa diaria del mundo entero.Paulos se fija en asuntos que parecen muy al margen de las matematicas, pero sus argumentos acaban demostrandonos hasta que punto la inocencia matematica puede poner en clara desventaja al lector de un periodico. Incluso a quienes les hicieron odiar las matematicas en el colegio les gustaran estas historias numericas deun matematico que lee la prensa. Y tal vez ya no se sientan tan perdidos, decepcionados, estafados o engañados. . .John Allen Paulos nacio en Denver, estudio en Chicago y Milwaukee y se doctoro en matematicas en la Universidad de Wisconsin. En la actualidad es profesor de matematicas y rector de la Temple University de Philadelphia. En 1980 publico su primer libro,Mathematic and Humor, seguido, cinco años despues, dePienso, luego rio. Pero se dio a conocer en el mundo entero a partir de 1989 tras el enorme e inesperado exito deEl hombre anumerico.El analfabetismo matematico y sus consecuencias (Metatemas 20). En 1991 publicoMas alla de los numeros (Metatemas 31). Es tambien autor de estudios especializados sobre logica matematica, probabilidad y filosofia de la ciencia.