Every year the JEHPS lists the books and articles on the history of probability and statistics that have appeared in the previous year. Inevitably there will be omissions but these can be made good. If you know of any in the list below, please contact me, John Aldrich, at john.aldrich@soton.ac.uk and I will put things right.
The literature on the history of probability and statistics is very dispersed, with contributions appearing both in outlets specialising in history and in outlets specialising in probability and statistics. The present list covers contributions of both kinds and aims to be comprehensive. At the same time, by considering only the history of probability and statistics, it is more focussed than the existing resources.
Besides general search engines like
the principal resources are
Current Index to Statistics
Mathematical Reviews
Zentralblatt MATH
Historia Mathematica
Isis
The Current Index to Statistics lists publications, journal articles and books. Mathematical Reviews and Zentralblatt MATH generally summarise each publication. Historia Mathematica has abstracts of recent publications in each issue. Isis publishes a Current Bibliography as the fifth issue each year. This is not included in the electronic version of the journal but its contents form part of the more comprehensive History of Science and Technology database supported by the RLG. The entries below give titles and, where available, a link to an MR review.
Alan G. Cock & Donald R. Forsdyke (2008) “Treasure Your Exceptions”: The Science and Life of William Bateson, Springer. Amazon
A. Franklin, A. W. F. Edwards,
D. J. Fairbanks, D. L. Hartl, T. Seidenfeld (2008) Ending the Mendel-Fisher
Controversy, University of Pittsburgh Press. Amazon.
S. T. Ziliak and D. N. McCloskey
(2008) The Cult of Statistical Significance: How the Standard Error Costs Us
Jobs, Justice, and Lives, Ann Arbor: University of
Michigan Press.Amazon
These are ordered alphabetically by the name of the author of the book under review. Some of the books reviewed appeared in earlier lists.
Bernoulli, J. (2005) The Art of Conjecturing, together with Letter to a Friend on Sets in Court Tennis Translated with an introduction and notes by Edith Dudley Sylla. Reviewed by G. Hon, Centaurus, 50 (4), (2008), 335-337
Davis, Mark and Alison Etheridge (2006) Louis Bachelier's Theory of speculation: The origins of modern finance. Reviewed by P. Protter, Bulletin American Mathematical Society, 45, (2008), 657-660. pdf
James Franklin (2002) The Science
of Conjecture: Evidence and Probability before Pascal. Reviewed by N. Meusnier,
Mathématiques et Sciences Humaines, Nn° 184, (2008). pdf
Maria Carla Galavotti (2005) Philosophical Introduction to Probability. Reviewed by M. Benzi, Erkenntnis, 68, (2), (2008), 299-303.
Maria Carla Galavotti (2005) Philosophical
Introduction to Probability Reviewed by J.-W.
Romeijn, Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in
History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, 39, (1), (2008) 225-228.
Anders Hald A
History of Parametric Statistical Inference from Bernoulli to Fisher, 1713-1935, Reviewed by C. C. Heyde, SIAM Review, 50, (1), (2008), 175.
Sarah E. Igo (2007) The Averaged American: Surveys, Citizens, and the Making of a Mass Public. Reviewed by M. Pettit, British Journal for the History of Science, 41, (4), (2008), 621-623.
Philippe LeGall (2007) A History of Econometrics in France: From Nature to Models. Reviewed by T. M. Porter, Journal of the History of Economic Thought, 30, (2008), 543-545.
M. Petit, L’équation de
Kolmogoroff. Vie et mort de Wolfgang Doeblin, un génie dans la tourmente 2003. Reviewed by B. Bru, Mathématiques et Sciences Humaines, Nn° 181, (2008) here
Schweber, L. (2006) Disciplining Statistics: Demography and Vital Statistics in France and England, 1830-1885. Reviewed by D. Bellhouse, Historia Mathematica, 35, (3), (2008), 249-252
Ziliak, S. T.
and D. N. McCloskey (2008) The Cult of Statistical Significance: How the
Standard Error Costs Us Jobs, Justice, and Lives.
Reviewed by T. M. Porter Science, 320, (June), (2008), 1292.
Ziliak, S. T. and D. N. McCloskey (2008) The Cult of Statistical Significance: How the Standard Error Costs Us Jobs, Justice, and Lives. Reviewed by A. Spanos, Erasmus Journal for Philosophy and Economics, 1, (1), (2008) pdf .
The Journal Electronique is the only journal dedicated to the history of probability and statistics and is already the most important publication in terms of the number of articles it publishes. Other contributions are widely scattered across history of science journals, statistics journals, mathematics journals and natural and social science journals. Note that sometimes MR lists an article without reviewing it and sometimes presents the bibliography without the review. Where a link is given there is something—either a review or a bibliography.
Aldrich, J. (2008) Keynes among the Statisticians, History of Political Economy, 40 (2), 265-316.
Aldrich, J. (2008) R. A. Fisher on Bayes and Bayes’ Theorem, Bayesian Analysis, 3 (1), 161-170.
Armatte, M.
(2008) Histoire et Préhistoire de l'Analyse
des données par J.P. Benzecri: un cas de généalogie rétrospective Journal Electronique d'Histoire des
Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4 (2).
Barbut, M. and L. Mazliak (2008) Commentary on Lévy’s lecture
notes to the Ecole Polytechnique (1919) Journal Electronique d'Histoire des Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4 (1).
Barbut, M. and
L. Mazliak (2008) On a letter of Paul Lévy to Maurice
Dumas Journal Electronique
d'Histoire des Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4 (1).
Bellhouse, D.R. (2008) Banishing Fortuna: Montmort and De Moivre. Journal of the History of Ideas, 69, 559 – 581.
Benzeckri,
J.-P. (2008) The Soul at the Razor’s Edge.(1980) Journal Electronique d'Histoire des Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4 (2).
Berghold, A., H., U. Burger and
L. A. Hothorn, Andreas Ziegler (2008) 50 Years Biometrical Journal, Biometrical
Journal, 50 (1), 5-7.
Bock, H.-H.
(2008) Origins and extensions of the
k-means algorithm in cluster analysis Journal
Electronique d'Histoire des Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4 (2).
Brian, E. (2008) Condorcet
and Borda in 1784. Misfits and Documents,
Journal Electronique d'Histoire des Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4 (1).
Bullynck, M.
(2008) Presentation of J.H.Lambert’s text Journal Electronique d'Histoire des
Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4 (2).
Clero, J.-P. (2008) Lacan and Probabilities Journal Electronique d'Histoire des
Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4 (2).
Condorcet Document 1: Proceedings of the Paris Academy in
July 1784, Document 2: Condorcet on Borda’s Memoir (1784), Document 3: Condorcet again on Borda’s Memoir (1785), Document 4: Condorcet on Plurality in an Election (1788), Journal Electronique d'Histoire des
Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4 (1).
David, H. A. (2008) The Beginnings of Randomization Tests, American Statistician, 62, (1), 64-69.
Desrosieres,
A. (2008) Analyse des données et sciences
humaines: comment cartographier le monde social? Journal Electronique d'Histoire des Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4, (2).
Edwards, A. W. F. (2008) G. H. Hardy (1908) and Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium, Genetics, 179, (3), 1143-1150.
Edwards, A. W. F. (2008) G. H. Hardy and Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (1908), Annals of Human Genetics, 72, 687-688.
Farebrother, R. W. (2008), Henry Agard Wallace and Machine Calculation, Image, 40, 21-23. pdf
de
Falguerolles, A. (2008) L’analyse des données: before and around, Journal Electronique d'Histoire des Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4, (2).
de Finetti, B.
(2008) About Correlations (1937) Journal Electronique d'Histoire des Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4 (2).
Finner, H. (2008) Preface to the
Translation of Eckart Sonnemann's 1982 Paper on General Solutions to Multiple
Testing Problems, Biometrical Journal, 50, (5), 640.
Gower, J. (2008) The Biological Stimulus to
Multidimensional Data Analysis, Journal Electronique d'Histoire des Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4, (2).
G.-Th.
Guilbaud (2008) Theories of the general Interest and
the logical Problem of Aggregation Journal
Electronique d'Histoire des Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4 (1).
G.-Th.
Guilbaud (2008) Système parental et matrimonial au Nord Ambrym, Mathématiques
et Sciences Humaines, Nn° 183, (2008).
G.-Th.
Guilbaud (2008) A propos de l’estimation de nombre des coins, Mathématiques
et Sciences Humaines, Nn° 183, (2008).
here
Hanley,
J. A., M. Julien and E. E. M. Moodie (2008) t Distribution Centennial: Student’s z, t, and s: What if Gosset had R? American Statistician, 62, 64-69.
Heiser,
W. J. (2008) Psychometric Roots of
Multidimensional Data Analysis in the Netherlands: From Gerard Heymans to John
van de Geer, Journal
Electronique d'Histoire des Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4, (2).
Howson, C. (2008)
De Finetti, Countable Additivity, Consistency and Coherence, British Journal
for the Philosophy of Science, 59, 1-23.
Labbé, M. (2008) L'arithmétique politique en Allemagne au début du 19e siècle: réceptions et polémiques. [Political arithmetic in Germany at the beginning of the nineteenth century: reception and debates] Journal Electronique d'Histoire des Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4 (1).
Lai, T. L., I. Olkin, R. Velu (2008) Theodore Wilbur Anderson, Jr., Journal of Statistical Planning and Inference, 138, (9), 2593-2594.
Lambert, J. H.
(2008) Zwey und dreyßigstus Hauptstück :
Vorstellung der Größen durch Figuren (1765) Journal Electronique d'Histoire des
Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4 (2).
Laurence, P.,
Wang T.-H. and L. Barone (2008) Geometric properties of multivariate
correlation in de Finetti’s approach to insurance theory Journal Electronique d'Histoire des
Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4 (2).
Le Gall, P. (2008) The Confessions of the Average: Statistics and Natural Order in Nineteenth-Century French Economic Thought, History of Political Economy, 40, (3), 447-480.
Lebart, L. (2008) Exploratory multivariate data analysis from its origins to 1980: Nine
contributions. / L’Analyse des données des origines à 1980
: quelques éléments
Journal Electronique d'Histoire des Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4 (2).
Lehmann, E. L. (2008) On the History
and Use of some Standard Statistical Models. Pp. 114-126 of Probability and Statistics:
Essays in Honor of David A. Freedman, Inst. Math.
Stat. Collect., 2, Inst. Math. Statist.,
Beachwood, OH, 2008.
Lévy, P.
(2008) Paul Lévy’s lecture notes on probability to
the Ecole Polytechnique (1919) Journal Electronique d'Histoire des
Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4 (1).
Lorrey I. H. and J. M. Colomer (2008) Social Choice in Medieval
Europe, Journal Electronique d'Histoire des Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4 (1).
Magnello, M. E. (2008) Pearson, Karl, International Encyclopedia
of the Social Sciences. Ed. William A. Darity, Jr..
Vol. 6. 2nd ed. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2008. 190-194
Mirkin, B. and I. Muchnik (2008) Some topics of current interest in clustering: Russian approaches 1960-1985 Journal Electronique d'Histoire des Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4 (2).
Missiakoulis, S.: Aristotle and Earthquake
Data: a Historical Note, International
Statistical Review, 76, (1), 130-133.
Monjardet, B. (2008) “Mathématique
Sociale” and Mathematics. A case study : Condorcet’s effect and medians Journal Electronique d'Histoire des Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4 (1).
Murtagh, F. (2008) Origins
of Modern Data Analysis Linked to the Beginnings and Early Development of
Computer Science and Information Engineering Journal Electronique
d'Histoire des Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4 (2).
Ogawa, J and I. Olkin (2008) A Tale of Two Countries: The Craig–Sakamoto–Matusita theorem, Journal of Statistical Planning and Inference, 138, (11), 3419-3428.
Ohshumi, N.
(2008) Memories of Chikio Hayashi (2004) Journal Electronique d'Histoire des
Probabilités et de la Statistique, 3 (2).
Piovani, J. I.
(2008) The Historical Construction of Correlation as a Conceptual and Operative
Instrument for Empirical Research, Quality and Quantity, 42, (6) 757-777.
Pradier, P.-C.,
N. Rieucau (2008) D’Alembert et D. Bernoulli au sujet de l’inoculation de la
petite vérole, Bollettino di Storia delle Scienze Matematiche, 28, (2), pp. 15.
Pritchard, C. (2008) Mistakes concerning
a chance encounter between Francis Galton and John Venn, British Society for
the History of Mathematics Bulletin, 23 (2), 103–108.
Rohrbasser, J.-M. (2008) Süssmilch lecteur de Petty.
Arithmétique politique et théologie naturelle, Journal Electronique d'Histoire des
Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4 (1).
Rouanet, H. (2008)
Historical Sketch (2004) Journal Electronique d'Histoire des
Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4 (2).
Entretien de Henry Rouanet avec Philippe Bonnet/ A
conversation between Henry Rouanet and Philippe Bonnet (2007) Journal Electronique d'Histoire des
Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4 (2).
Rouanet, H.
and D. Lepine (2008) A propos de “l’Analyse des données”
selon Benzécri/ About “Data Analysis” along Benzécri’s views (1976) Journal Electronique d'Histoire des
Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4 (2).
Senn,
S. (2008) A Century of t-tests, Significance,
5, 37-39.
Sheynin, O. (2008) Bortkiewicz' Alleged Discovery: the Law
of Small Numbers, Historia Scientiarum, 1,
Snee, R. D. (2008) W. Edwards Deming's Making Another World: A Holistic Approach to Performance Improvement and the Role of Statistics, American Statistician, 62, (3), 251-255.
Sonnemann, E. (2008) General Solutions to
Multiple Testing Problems, Biometrical Journal, 50, (5), 641-656.
Stigler, S. M. (2008) Karl Pearson's
Theoretical Errors and the Advances they Inspired, Statistical Science, 23 (2), 261-271. Euclid.
Stigler, S. M. (2008) Statistics at Harvard? A Toast to the Harvard Statistics Department, American Statistician, 62, (3), 246-250.
Stigler, S. M. (2008) Fisher and the 5% Level, Chance, 21, (4), 12.
Tabery, J. (2008) R. A. Fisher, Lancelot Hogben, and the Origin(s) of Genotype–Environment Interaction, Journal of the History of Biology, 41 (4), 717-761.
Urken, A. B. (2008) Grokking Condorcet’s 1785 Essai Journal Electronique d'Histoire des Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4 (1).
Véron, J. (2008) Alfred J.Lotka and the Mathematics of Population Journal Electronique d'Histoire des
Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4 (1).
Victor, N., J. Läuter, P. Ihm, K. Dietz (2008) Celebrating Fifty Years of the Biometrical Journal, Biometrical Journal, 50 (6), 901-910.
Wolfenstein, G. K. (2007) Recounting the Nation: The General Register Office and Victorian Bureaucracies, Centaurus, 49 (4), 261-288.
Zabell, S.
L. (2008) On Student's 1908 paper “The probable error of a mean,” with comments
by S. M. Stigler, J. Aldrich, A. W. F. Edwards, E. Seneta, P. Diaconis & E.
L. Lehmann and reply from Zabell, Journal of the American Statistical
Association, 103, 1-20. MR2394634
A few journals regularly publish interviews with distinguished practitioners and obituaries. These publications can be important sources for the writing of contemporary history.
These are ordered alphabetically by name of interviewee.
Myles Hollander interviewed by Francisco J. Samaniego, Statistical Science, 23, (2008), 420-438. Project Euclid
Peter Huber interviewed by Andreas Buja and Hans R. Künsch, Statistical Science, 23, (2008), 120-135. Project Euclid
Toby Lewis interviewed by Julian Champkin, Significance, 5, (2008), 130-132.
Lord Lipsey interviewed by Julian Champkin, Significance, 5, (2008), 179-180.
Howard Raiffa interviewed by Stephen E. Fienberg, Statistical Science, 23, (2008), 136-149. Project Euclid
Jayaram Sethuraman interviewed by Myles Hollander, Statistical Science, 23, (2008), 272-285. Project Euclid
These are ordered alphabetically by name of deceased.
Albert H. Bowker 1919-2008 remembered by Ingram Olkin, IMS Bulletin, (2008), 37 (2), 12-13.
Shihong Cheng 1939-2008 remembered by Laurens de Haan, IMS Bulletin, (2008), 37 (6), 19.
Sándor Csörgő 1947-2008 remembered by David M. Mason, IMS Bulletin, (2008), 37 (4), 16.
Sándor Csörgő 1947-2008 remembered by David M. Mason, ISI Newsletter, (2008), 32 (2)
Charles Dunnett (1921-2007) remembered by Ajit
C. Tamhane, Biometrical Journal, 50 (5), 636-637.
Aryeh Dvoretzky 1916-2008 remembered by Joseph A. Yahav, IMS Bulletin, (2008) 37 issue 7, 13.
Walter Federer 1915-2008 remembered by Chuck McCulloch, Sam Helayat & Marty Wells IMS Bulletin, (2008) 37 issue 10, 13.
David A. Freedman (“Death in Statistics” by Terry Speed), IMS Bulletin, (2008) 37 issue 10, 17.
Bhaskar Kumar Ghosh 1936-2008 remembered by Bennett Eisenberg and Wei-Min Huang, IMS Bulletin, (2008) 37 issue 9, 12.
Georges Th. Guilbaud remembered
by Marc Barbut, Mathématiques et Sciences Humaines, Nn° 183, (2008). here.
Georges Th. Guilbaud: Biographie de G.-Th. Guilbaud. Repères chronologiques, Mathématiques
et Sciences Humaines, Nn° 183, (2008).
here
Georges Th. Guilbaud : Publications de G.-Th. Guilbaud, Mathématiques et Sciences Humaines, Nn° 183, (2008). here
Georges Th. Guilbaud :
Films de mathématiques de G.-Th. Guilbaud, Mathématiques et Sciences Humaines, Nn° 183, (2008). here
Georges Th. Guilbaud : Un hommage (inédit) à
G.-Th. Guilbaud par Pierre Gréco (1927-1988), Mathématiques et Sciences Humaines, Nn° 183, (2008). here
Georges Th. Guilbaud : Denis Bayart Entretien avec G.-Th. Guilbaud, Mathématiques
et Sciences Humaines, Nn° 183, (2008).
here
Georges Th. Guilbaud :
Bernard Bru “Ball. Trapp., Mathématiques et Sciences Humaines, Nn° 183, (2008). here
Anders Hald 1913-2007 remembered by Niels Keiding IMS Bulletin, (2008), 37 (1), 12.
Anders Hald 1913-2007 remembered by Niels Keiding ISI Newsletter, (2008), 32 (1).
Anders Hald 1913-2007 remembered by Steffen Lauritzen, Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series A, (2008), 171 (4), 1029-1030.
Anders
Hald (1913-2007): Writings on the History of Probability and Statistics
Journal Electronique d'Histoire des Probabilités et de la Statistique, 4 (1).
Chris C. Heyde 1939-2008 remembered by Eugene Seneta & Ross Maller, IMS Bulletin, (2008), 37 (6), 18-19.
Christopher Charles Heyde remembered by Eugene Seneta, ISI Newsletter, (2008), 32 (2)
Chris C. Heyde 1939-2008 remembered by Joe Gani & Eugene Seneta,
Journal of Applied Probability, (2008) 45, (3), 587-592.
Chris C. Heyde 1939-2008 remembered by L. Nash, Journal of
Applied Probability, (2008) 45, (3), 593-594.
Gilbert A. Hunt 1916-2008 remembered by Erhan Çinlar, IMS Bulletin, (2008) 37 (10), 14-15.
Samuel Karlin 1924-2007 remembered by Richard Olshen & Burton Singer, IMS Bulletin, (2008), 37 (4), 14-15.
David George Kendall 1918-2007 remembered by N. H. (Nick) Bingham, IMS Bulletin, (2008), 37 (3), 8.
Professor D. G. Kendall (1918-2007) remembered by N. H. (Nick) Bingham, ISI Newsletter, (2008), 32 (2).
David Kendall remembered by Jeff Teugels, ISI Newsletter, (2008), 32 (2) Bernoulli Society.
David George Kendall 1918-2007 remembered by D. J. Daley and D.
Vere-Jones, Journal of Applied Probability, (2008),
45, (2), 593-594.
Neil William Please 1919–2005 remembered by J. I. Galbraith, Journal of the Royal Statistical Society: Series A, (2008), 171 (1), 308-309.
Marc Raimondo 1969-2008 remembered by Dominique Picard and Neville Weber, IMS Bulletin, (2008) 37 issue 9, 13.
Henri Rouanet remembered by Marc Barbut, Mathématiques
et Sciences Humaines, Nn° 184, (2008).
Oded Schramm 1961-2008 remembered by Russell Lyons, IMS Bulletin, (2008) 37 issue 9, 13.
Eckart Sonnemann (1940-2007) remembered by Helmut
Finner, Biometrical Journal, 50 (5), 638-639.
Andrei Yakolev (1944-2008) remembered by Jack Hall and Leonid Hanin, IMS Bulletin, (2008), 37 (5), 16-17.
David Young 1947-2008 remembered by Gary Zerbe, IMS Bulletin, (2008), 37 (4), 17.
The following journals were consulted. (Most publish relevant articles only occasionally and some published none in the period under review.)
American Statistician, Annals of Probability, Annals of Science, Archive for History of Exact Sciences, Australian & New Zealand Journal of Statistics,
Bayesian Analysis, Biometrical Journal, Biometrika, Bollettino di Storia delle Scienze Matematiche,
British Journal for the Philosophy of Science,
British Journal of the History of Science, Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society,
Bulletin of the History of Medicine, Centaurus, Chance, Convergence, Econometric Theory, Erkenntnis, European Journal of the History of Economic Thought,
Historia Mathematica, Historia Scientiarum, History and Philosophy of Logic, History of Political Economy, History of Science, IMS Bulletin, ISI Newsletter, International Statistical Review, Isis, Journal de la Société Francaise de Statistique,
Journal Electronique d'Histoire
des Probabilités et de la Statistique, Journal of Official Statistics, Journal of the American Statistical Association,
Journal of Applied Probability,
Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences, Journal of the History of Biology, Journal of the History of Economic Thought, Journal
of the Royal Statistical Society A, Journal of Statistical Planning and Inference,
NTM Zeitschrift für Geschichte der Wissenschaften, Technik
und Medizin, Mathématiques et sciences humaines, Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, Philosophy of Science, Quality
& Quantity, Revue d'histoire des mathématiques, Revue d'histoire des sciences, Rutherford Journal, Social Studies of Science, Science in Context, Significance, Statistical Science Statistics in Medicine, Studies In History and Philosophy of Science Part A,
Studies In History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies
In History and Philosophy of Modern Physics, Studies
in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy
of Biological and Biomedical Sciences.