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Pioneering British mathematician and mechanical engineer (1791-1871) whose Difference Engine and Analytical Engine are generally acknowledged as the first programmable computers. Signed book: An Examination of Some Questions Connected with Games of Chance by Charles Babbage. Edinburgh: Offprint from Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, printed by P. Neill, 1820. Custom leather-bound hardcover with marbled boards, 7.75 x 10, 25 pages. Prominently signed on the title page in ink by Babbage, "From the Author." In fine condition, with light foxing and toning to the textblock.
In his 1820 paper "An Examination of Some Questions Connected with Games of Chance," Charles Babbage explores mathematical theories surrounding probability and its applications in games of chance. Babbage offers a mathematical examination of the famous 'Martingale' betting system—doubling the bet after every loss—and examines various scenarios, such as coin flips and ball-drawing, to develop insights into the nature of randomness and statistical predictability. Babbage’s work laid an early foundation for understanding probability, foreshadowing his later contributions to mathematics and computing.
