Thomas Bayes (1702 - 1761) was an English clergyman and mathematician.
Until around 1950, he was considered a minor contributor to the
history of mathematics, and if he was known at all it was because his
name was attached to a simple theorem in the calculus of
probabilities. Since then, however, that theorem and the problem Bayes
was able to solve with it have become the basis for an important
branch of statistical methodology, the problem of inverse probability.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
From the reviews:
A.I. Dale
Most Honourable Remembrance
The Life & Work of Thomas Bayes
"Interesting and useful as all this will be for anyone interested in knowing more about Bayes, this is just part of the riches contained in this book . . . Beyond doubt this book is a work of the highest quality in terms of the scholarship it displays, and should be regarded as a must for every mathematical library."-MAA ONLINE
"Andrew Dale explains that his aim was to 'flesh out the shadowy figure after whom one of the major branches of modern statistics is named'. The extensive and careful work which the author has put in to achieve his aim is evident everywhere in the book. ... he has done much more by his careful and deep analysis of Bayes work as a whole. Beyond doubt this book is a work of the highest quality in terms of the scholarship it displays . ." (Ramachandran Bharath, MathDL The MAA Mathematical Sciences Digital Library, January, 2004)
"Historians of mathematics will be interested in the author's accounts of Bayes's few published works. . we have here a book that seriously adds to the history of mathematics; at the same time provides a fascinating study of some aspects of 18th century society in Britain. All this is done with charm and humour: a book to be cherished." (D.V.Lindley, The Mathematical Gazette, Vol. 90 (517), 2006)
"This book takes the reader back to Bayes's time and place, to understand and appreciate the contribution Thomas Bayes made to mathematics and theology . . The few primary sources that relate directly to Bayes are supplemented with extensive sources relating to that time and place. . The author is to be commended for a very considerable work of historical scholarship. . I recommend it to give insight into Thomas Bayes and his time." (W. M. (Bill) Bolstad, SIAM Review, Vol. 47 (2), 2005)
"The increasing importance ofBayesian methodology has naturally led to an increasing interest in the inventor. . All of the works are complemented by full discussion and notes . . The book has some delightful light touches . and yet maintains a high standard of scholarship throughout. Altogether it is a monumental achievement . ." (Peter M. Lee, Significance, December, 2004)
"Dale . offers this painstaking and meticulous study of the environment, life, and work of Thomas Bayes, the nonconformist Presbyterian minister whose posthumous 1763 'An Essay Towards Solving a Problem in the Doctrine of Changes' profoundly influenced statistics. . A valuable and very scholarly reference that renders Bayes's scientific opus more easily accessible." (S. J. Colley, CHOICE, February, 2004)
