Calculator's Cunning: The Art of Quick Reckoning

Karl Menninger

Basic Books | 1964 | djvu | 1,53 Mb

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Descrição: An arithmetical trick is a device for solving a problem more easily and surprisingly than by ordinary methods. While one person will see behind it the broad and wonderfully intricate world of numbers, another will be satisfied by his delight in the trick itself. This book will serve both kinds of student. It will teach the beginner to master a series of useful methods and above all to look at the numbers before doing any calculation, in order to use the tricks appropriate to them; for the advanced student, and for anyone who enjoys numbers, it will afford many pleasant glimpses into the land of numbers, and stimulate him to a voyage of discovery.

Numbers have a certain magic. It is no accident that their wonderful properties have grown into the theory of numbers, 'the queen of mathematics'. Those relations which the schoolboy knows as arithmetical tricks belong to elementary number-theory.

Strength In Numbers: Discovering the Joy and Power of Mathematics in Everyday Life

Sherman K. Stein
Wiley | 1999 | 288 páginas | djvu | 2,33 Mb

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Descrição: What do two goats and a car have to do with making good decisions? Was the golden ratio used to build the Great Pyramid of Khufu? Can it be that some numbers are unmistakably "hot," while others are inherently "cool"? With his infectiously enthusiastic and engaging style, award-winning teacher and author Sherman K. Stein offers a new appreciation for mathematics, from the beauty of its logic ("as inevitable and memorable as a Mozart symphony") to its amazing power and pervasiveness in our lives. Requiring no math knowledge beyond basic arithmetic and high school geometry, Strength in Numbers is an enlightening introduction to all the math you'll ever need.

Mathletics: How Gamblers, Managers, and Sports Enthusiasts Use Mathematics in Baseball, Basketball, and Football

Wayne L. Winston

Princeton University Press | 2009 | 376 páginas | pdf | 1,03 Mb

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Descrição: athletics is a remarkably entertaining book that shows readers how to use simple mathematics to analyze a range of statistical and probability-related questions in professional baseball, basketball, and football, and in sports gambling. How does professional baseball evaluate hitters? Is a singles hitter like Wade Boggs more valuable than a power hitter like David Ortiz? Should NFL teams pass or run more often on first downs? Could professional basketball have used statistics to expose the crooked referee Tim Donaghy? Does money buy performance in professional sports?In Mathletics, Wayne Winston describes the mathematical methods that top coaches and managers use to evaluate players and improve team performance, and gives math enthusiasts the practical tools they need to enhance their understanding and enjoyment of their favorite sports--and maybe even gain the outside edge to winning bets. Mathletics blends fun math problems with sports stories of actual games, teams, and players, along with personal anecdotes from Winston's work as a sports consultant. Winston uses easy-to-read tables and illustrations to illuminate the techniques and ideas he presents, and all the necessary math concepts--such as arithmetic, basic statistics and probability, and Monte Carlo simulations--are fully explained in the examples.After reading Mathletics, you will understand why baseball teams should almost never bunt, why football overtime systems are unfair, why points, rebounds, and assists aren't enough to determine who's the NBA's best player--and much, much more.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Preface xi
Acknowledgments xiii
List of Abbreviations xv

Part I. Baseball 1

Chapter 1: Baseball's Pythagorean Theorem 3
Chapter 2: Who Had a Better Year, Nomar Garciaparra or Ichiro Suzuki? 11
The Runs- Created Approach
Chapter 3: Evaluating Hitters by Linear Weights 17
Chapter 4: Evaluating Hitters by Monte Carlo Simulation 30
Chapter 5: Evaluating Baseball Pitchers and Forecasting Future Pitcher Performance 41
Chapter 6: Baseball Decision- Making 52
Chapter 7: Evaluating Fielders 64
Sabermetrics' Last Frontier
Chapter 8: Player Win Averages 71
Chapter 9: The Value of Replacement Players 79
Evaluating Trades and Fair Salary
Chapter 10: Park Factors 84
Chapter 11: Streakiness in Sports 87
Chapter 12: The Platoon Effect 102
Chapter 13: Was Tony Perez a Great Clutch Hitter? 106
Chapter 14: Pitch Count and Pitcher Effectiveness 110
Chapter 15: Would Ted Williams Hit .406 Today? 113
Chapter 16: Was Joe DiMaggio's 56- Game Hitting Streak the Greatest Sports Record of All Time? 116
Chapter 17: Major League Equivalents 123

Part II. Football 125

Chapter 18: What Makes NFL Teams Win? 127
Chapter 19: Who's Better, Tom Brady or Peyton Manning? 132
Chapter 20: Football States and Values 138
Chapter 21: Football Decision- Making 101 143
Chapter 22: A State and Value Analysis of the 2006 Super Bowl 151
Champion Colts
Chapter 23: If Passing Is Better Than Running, Why Don't 158
Teams Always Pass?
Chapter 24: Should We Go for a One- Point or Two- Point Conversion? 165
Chapter 25: To Give Up the Ball Is Better Than to Receive 172
The Case of College Football Overtime
Chapter 26: Why Is the NFL's Overtime System Fatally Flawed? 175
Chapter 27: How Valuable Are High Draft Picks in the NFL? 180

Part III. Basketball 185

Chapter 28: Basketball Statistics 101 187
The Four- Factor Model
Chapter 29: Linear Weights for Evaluating NBA Players 195
Chapter 30: Adjusted_/_Player Ratings 202
Chapter 31: NBA Lineup Analysis 224
Chapter 32: Analyzing Team and Individual Matchups 228
Chapter 33: NBA Players' Salaries and the Draft 233
Chapter 34: Are NBA Officials Prejudiced? 237
Chapter 35: Are College Basketball Games Fixed? 242
Chapter 36: Did Tim Donaghy Fix NBA Games? 244
Chapter 37: End- Game Basketball Strategy 248

Part IV. Playing with Money, and Other Topics for Serious Sports Fans 253

Chapter 38: Sports Gambling 101 255
Chapter 39: Freakonomics Meets the Bookmaker 262
Chapter 40: Rating Sports Teams 266
Chapter 41: Which League Has Greater Parity, The NFL or the NBA? 283
Chapter 42: The Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) 287
Chapter 43: From Point Ratings to Probabilities 290
Chapter 44: Optimal Money Management 298
The Kelly Growth Criteria
Chapter 45: Ranking Great Sports Collapses 303
Chapter 46: Can Money Buy Success? 311
Chapter 47: Does Joey Crawford Hate the Spurs? 319
Chapter 48: Does Fatigue Make Cowards of Us All? 321
The Case of NBA Back- to- Back Games and NFL Bye Weeks
Chapter 49: Can the Bowl Championship Series Be Saved? 324
Chapter 50: Comparing Players from Different Eras 331
Chapter 51: Conclusions 335

Index of Databases 341
Annotated Bibliography 343
Index 353

Guide to Mathematical Modelling

(Mathematical guides)
Dilwyn Edwards, Mike Hamson

Palgrave Macmillan | 2001 | 240 páginas | pdf | 3,4 Mb

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Descrição: A basic introduction to mathematical modelling, this book encourages the reader to participate in the investigation of a wide variety of modelling examples. These are carefully paced so that readers can identify and develop the skills which are required for successful modelling. The examples also promote an appreciation of the enormous range of problems to which mathematical modelling skills can usefully be applied.

Contents

What is Modelling ?
Getting Started
Modelling Methodology
Modelling Skills
Using Difference Equations
Using Differential Equations
Using Random Numbers
Using data
Example Models
Report Writing and Presentation

Head First Algebra: A Learner's Guide to Algebra I

Tracey Pilone, Dan Pilone

O'Reilly Media, Inc. | 2009 | 559 páginas | pdf | 25 Mb

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Descrição: Having trouble understanding algebra? Do algebraic concepts, equations, and logic just make your head spin? We have great news: Head First Algebra is designed for you. Full of engaging stories and practical, real-world explanations, this book will help you learn everything from natural numbers and exponents to solving systems of equations and graphing polynomials.

Along the way, you'll go beyond solving hundreds of repetitive problems, and actually use what you learn to make real-life decisions. Does it make sense to buy two years of insurance on a car that depreciates as soon as you drive it off the lot? Can you really afford an XBox 360 and a new iPhone? Learn how to put algebra to work for you, and nail your class exams along the way.

Your time is way too valuable to waste struggling with new concepts. Using the latest research in cognitive science and learning theory to craft a multi-sensory learning experience, Head First Algebra uses a visually rich format specifically designed to take advantage of the way your brain really works.

Femmes et maths, sciences et technos

Louise Lafortune, Claudie Solar

Presses de l'Université du Québec | 2005 | 266 páginas | pdf

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Descrição: Quelle est la situation des femmes en mathématiques, en sciences et en technologies? Comment inciter les filles à entreprendre des études supérieures dans ces domaines? Comment contrer les préjugés véhiculés par la famille, l’école et la société ainsi que les stéréotypes qui perdurent et qui dévalorisent les compétences des femmes pour les domaines scientifiques et technologiques?
Les auteures de cet ouvrage exposent des solutions pour que les jeunes, et surtout les filles, ne cherchent pas par tous les moyens à éviter les domaines exigeant une solide formation en mathématiques, en sciences et en technologies. Elles proposent de nombreuses pistes de réflexion et d’intervention qui sauront certes intéresser toutes les personnes occupant des postes de direction, d’intervention et de formation ainsi que les parents.
Un document audiovisuel intitulé Maths, sciences et technos, pourquoi pas? permet d’alimenter la réflexion

The Clock Struck One: A Time-telling Tale

(Math Is Fun!)

Trudy Harris
Millbrook Press | 2009 | 36 páginas | pdf | 14 Mb

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Descrição: When the clock strikes one, a fun-loving mouse runs up the clock. But what happens when the clock strikes two? A cat gets hungry for mouse-tail stew . . . and the chase is on! Hour by hour, more animals - and even a few people - join in. The crowd charges into the barnyard, dashes through the kitchen, and eventually heads right into the middle of town.Keep your eye on the many clocks in this book and follow along until this twelve-hour race comes to a surprising end