MOIVRE, Abraham de.

The Doctrine of Chances: or, A Method of Calculating the Probability of Events in Play.

Engraved vignette on title and engraved head- & tailpieces. 2 p.l., xiv, 175 pp. Large 4to, cont. mottled calf (expertly rebacked & recornered by Aquarius), spine richly gilt, red morocco lettering piece on spine. London: W. Pearson for the Author, 1718.

First edition and a fine copy of this classic on the theory of probability; it is dedicated to Isaac Newton who was a personal friend of the author. “His work on the theory of probability surpasses anything done by any other mathematician except P.S. Laplace. His principal contributions are his investigations respecting the Duration of Play, his Theory of Recurring Series, and his extension of the value of Daniel Bernoulli’s theorem by the aid of Stirling’s theorem.”–Cajori, A History of Mathematics, p. 230.

Nice copy.

❧ Babson 181–“He was among the intimate friends of Newton, to whom this book is dedicated. It is the second book devoted entirely to the theory of probability and a classic on the subject.” Stigler, The History of Statistics, pp. 70-85. Tomash M 114.

Price: $12,500.00

Item ID: 2989