An essay on probabilities, and on their application to life contingencies and insurance offices / By Augustus De Morgan.

  • Augustus De Morgan
Date:
1838
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An essay on probabilities, and on their application to life contingencies and insurance offices / By Augustus De Morgan. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    AN ESSAY ON PROBABILITIES. CHAPTER I. ON THE NOTION OF PROBABILITY AND ITS MEASURE] MENT ; ON THE PROVINCE OF MATHEMATICS WITH REGARD TO IT, AND REPLY TO OBJECTIONS. Wouen the speculators of a former day were busily employed in constructing celestial tables for the use of prophets, or investigating the qualities of bodies for the manufacture of gold, no one could guess that they were accelerating the formation of sciences which should themselves be among the most essential foundations of navigation and commerce, and, through them, of civilis- ation and government, peace and security, arts and liter-. ature. That good plants of such a species require the warmth of mysticism and superstition in their early growth is not a rule of absolute generality, for there are cases in which cupidity and vacancy of mind will do as well. Cards and dice were the early aliment of the branch of knowledge before us; but its utility is now generally recognised in all the more delicate branches of experimental science, in which it is consulted as the guide of our erroneous senses, and the corrector of our fallacious impressions. And more than this, it is the source from whence we draw the means of equalising the B
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