Teaching of economical statistics (1885–1925). Presentation of some documents. (Enseignement de la statistique économique (1885–1925). Présentation de quelques documents.)
This paper concerns the emergence of modern mathematical statistics in France after the First World War. Emile Borel’s achievements are presented, and especially his creation of two institutions where mathematical statistics was developed: the Statistical Institute of Paris University, (ISUP) in 1922 and above all the Henri Poincaré Institute (IHP) in 1928. At the IHP, a new journal Annales de l’Institut Henri Poincaré was created in 1931. We discuss the first papers in that journal dealing with...
Zbyněk Šidák, the chief editor of the Applications of Mathematics, an outstanding Czech statistician and probabilist, died on November 12, 1999, aged 66 years. This article is devoted to memory of him and outlines his life and scientific work.
Aristotle and even earlier scientist and philosophers attempted to define, or at least to through light upon randomness. The author sketches the attempts to direct concept of randomness into the realm of mathematical science from Aristotle up to Poincaré. He dwells on the various interpretations of randomness that were pronounced in natural science and philosophy, and on the interrelation between necessity and randomness.