The second edition represents an ongoing effort to make probability
accessible to students in a wide range of fields such as mathematics,
statistics and data science, engineering, computer science, and business
analytics. The book is written for those learning about probability for
the first time. Revised and updated, the book is aimed specifically at
statistics and data science students who need a solid introduction to
the basics of probability.
While retaining its focus on basic probability, including Bayesian
probability and the interface between probability and computer
simulation, this edition's significant revisions are as follows:
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Many extra motivational examples and problems
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New material on Bayesian probability, including two famous court cases
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New sections on real-world applications of the Poisson distribution
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New sections on generating functions and the bivariate normal density
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New chapter on Markov chains, including Markov chain Monte Carlo
simulation
The approach followed in the book is to develop probabilistic intuition
before diving into details. The best way to learn probability is by
practising on a lot of problems. Many instructive problems together with
problem-solving strategies are given. Answers to all problems and
worked-out solutions to selected problems are also provided.
Henk Tijms is the author of several textbooks in the area of applied
probability. In 2008, he had received the prestigious INFORMS Expository
Writing Award for his work. He is active in popularizing probability at
Dutch high schools.
