Foundations of Probability

Taking an innovative approach to both content and methods, this book explores the foundations, basic concepts, and fundamental results of probability theory. Geared toward those unfamiliar with probability theory, it offers a firm basis for the study of topics related to the probability of mathematical statistics and to information theory.
The effective construction of probability spaces receives particular attention. Author Alfred Rényi—former Director of the Mathematical Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and an expert in the fields of probability theory, mathematical statistics, and number theory—considered effective construction of probability spaces particularly important to applying methods and results of probability theory to other branches of mathematics. Professor Rényi discusses basic theorems of probability theory in terms specific to the theorem in question, rather than in the most general form. His rigorous treatment also covers the mathematical notions of experiments and independence, the laws of chance for independent random variables, and the effects of dependence. Two brief appendixes offer helpful background in measure theory and functional analysis.