NYU Probability Summer 2009

Just for fun, you can play around with this.

Evidence of a surprising mathematical pattern (Zipf Distribution) in both the relative populations of cities and the calories burned by mice.

That's very cool. I hadn't known anything about the Zipf Distribution before.

Whoa. I guess humans are more in tune with their surroundings than we think.

Unless you're really interested in all the pictures of license plates, scroll down to "County coding" to see the mathematically relevant part. Ask yourself: how many license plates can be generating in the scheme used from 1963 to 2008? How many can be generated in the new scheme?

A gallery of Indiana license plates and description of the various coding schemes used.

How many ways can you order a cheesesteak if you can get it with or without onions and with provolone cheese, American cheese, or Cheez Whiz?

A famous purveyor of the Philadelphia "Cheesesteak" sandwich

Plus Maths Magazine: Feature Article. A look at what might have happened to a certain large bank -the probabilities of default turned out to be a lot higher than expected!

explanation of the different positions in basketball. How many ways can a team be created from the same five players?

Describing the system by which money is won and odds are calculated in horse racing and large-prize lottery games.

That's a nice set of questions! Have you verified his calculations. It seems there's one bit of data he's assuming.