"THE FIRST SYSTEMATIC ATTEMPT TO PLACE THE THEORY OF PROBABILITY ON A FIRM BASIS"

BERNOULLI, James. The Doctrine of Permutations and Combinations, Being an Essential and Fundamental Part of the Doctrine of Chances… Together with Some Other Useful Mathematical Tracts. London: Sold by B. and J. White, 1795. Large octavo, contemporary full marbled calf, red morocco spine label. $6500.

First edition of this collection of important mathematical works, including a substantial portion of Bernoulli's Doctrine translated into English, Wallis' Discourse of Combinations, Alternations, and Aliquot Parts, and numerous treatises by other renowned mathematicians—a lovely copy in contemporary marbled calf.

This extraordinary collection of mathematical works contains some of the most influential writings of the 17th and 18th century. Included is Bernoulli's Doctrine, which comprised the preface and first three chapters of the second part of his Ars Conjectandi—here in the original Latin and translated into English. Although Ars Conjectandi was not finished at the time of Bernoulli's death, it remains a seminal work of probability theory. It set forth Bernoulli's theory of chance and also proposed the concept of Bernoulli numbers. "It was the first systematic attempt to place the theory of probability on a firm basis and is still the foundation of much modern practice in all fields where probability is concerned—insurance, statistics and mathematical heredity tables" (PMM).

This collection also includes Wallis' Discourse of Combinations, Alternations, and Aliquot Parts from his only major mathematical work, Treatise of Algebra, which was originally published in 1685. That treatise was the first to combine a full explanation of algebra with an elaboration of its place in history. Wallis was well-suited to write this work as he was the most prominent English mathematician until Newton. He invented the infinity symbol and is often partially credited for the development of calculus. Finally, this work includes a wealth of treatises by prominent mathematicians including Maseres, Thomas Brancker, Joseph Raphson, Thomas Simpson, Thomas Fantet de Lagny, James Dodson, and Charles Hutton. Bernoulli's Ars Conjectandi was first published in Latin in Basel, 1713. See PMM 179 (Ars Conjectandi). Contemporary gift inscription.

Interior clean. Expert repair to joints, spine ends and corners. An extremely good and handsome copy in contemporary marbled calf.