Computing Mathematics
Might As Well Toss a Coin: How Random Numbers Help Us Find Exact Solutions. Randomness is clearly important in computer games and in the Premium Bond prize draw. But it is perhaps surprising that random numbers can also help us find the solution to well-defined business problems. This lecture looks at the role of randomness in computer algorithm, conducting a live experiment to use random numbers to calculate the mathematical constant π. Random numbers can be a valuable problem-solving tool, used to help solve difficult industrial problems and determine the optimal choice of business strategies.
Professor Tony Mann has taught mathematics and computing at the University of Greenwich for over twenty years. He was President of the British Society for the History of Mathematics from 2008 to 2011 and is editor of the Newsletter of the London Mathematical Society.
(from gresham.ac.uk)
| 6. Might As Well Toss a Coin: How Random Numbers Help Us Find Exact Solutions |
Go to the Series Home or watch other lectures: