Of course, there are some mathematicians who can’t leave well enough alone, and
have calculated the total number of cats, kits, sacks, and wives, based on a geometric
series. According to this equation, 2,801 were going to St. Ives, if the man, his wives,
their cats, etc. had turned around.MATHEMATICAL GAMES
What is a game?
A game is a recreational activity that involves a “conflict” resulting in gains and losses
between two or more opponents (although some games can involve one player acting
alone). In general, all games must have a goal that the players are trying to reach, and
the opponents must follow strict, formal rules that determine what the players can or
can’t do within the game. If any of the rules are broken during the game, it is often
referred to as a foul—or, at its worst, cheating.
The study of games is also a branch of mathematics and logic that is called game
theory. In game theory, games can be simple and solved with mathematics that result
in a complete “solution” (result of the game). It also includes the analysis of more
complex games, such as cards, chess, and checkers, and can even be applied to real-
world situations in economics, politics, and warfare.What is gambling?
Gambling is the act of playing a game for stakes—it is thought of as the art of taking
chances. It is also often called betting. A bet is the amount of money, or other object of
value, that is risked in a wager. Most people gamble with the hope of winning a certain
stake, usually a cash payment. But in order to get such a payoff, the gambler must risk
money or valuables, betting these items on the outcome of a game, contest, or other
event. All of this depends on the outcome of activities that are partially or wholly
dependent upon chance. What is chance? Mathematically speaking, chance is a mea-
sure of how likely it is that an event will occur—a probability. (For more about chance
and probability, see “Applied Mathematics.”)What are betting oddsand how are they determined?
Betting odds are usually written in the form r:s,in which ris the “chances for” and sis
the “chances against.” This can be stated as: “rto s” or “chances for to chances
against”; or “sto r” or “chances against to chances for.” But note that odds of 1:1 are
said as “one to one” not“one out of one.” Odds are usually calculated as follows:
total chances chances for chances against;428 or chances against total chances chances for