Preface to perspective iii

stochastics

Egan J. Chernoff

Gale L. Russell

pp. 343-344

in: Egan J. Chernoff, Bharath Sriraman (eds), Probabilistic thinking, Berlin, Springer, 2014

Abstract

The term 'stochastics' has different meanings for different individuals. Despite a multitude of meanings, a commonly accepted "definition" is simply: probability and statistics. However, we contend the above story—for many years considered urban legend, but now actualized in introductory statistics courses around the world (e.g., Deborah Nolan and others)—best embodies the notion of stochastics in mathematics education. From this contention, by explicitly recognizing the notion of randomness within stochastics, we (re)define (for the purposes of this preface) stochastics, simply, as randomness and probability and statistics.