Release date: Aug. 9, 2005
Contact: Beverly Cox Clark at 404-712-8780 or beverly.clark@emory.edu

Poker Craze Spurs Popular Emory Math Class

A few hands of Texas Hold 'Em poker or a round of backgammon are typical assignments in an Emory University seminar on "Mathematics in Sports, Games and Gambling." The course takes mathematical concepts and applies them "in ways you wouldn't normally think about," says instructor Ronald Gould, Goodrich C. White Professor of Mathematics.

Students learn about probability, game theory and combinatorial design theory by investigating topics from the world of sports, competitive games of strategy, casino games, lotteries and the mathematical theory of games. When it comes to gambling, the course serves as a cautionary tale when students see just how bad their chances are of winning, says Gould.

Students who've taken the class say the seminar is challenging and thought-provoking, but an incredible amount of fun as well—and not what you would expect in a math class. Gould even performs card tricks to teach students how the results can be mathematically predetermined.

The course isn't all fun and games. Students take three exams, and have several homework assignments that include such tasks as investigating home run percentages and point spreads as a way to learn about mean, median and standard deviation.

Beyond fine-tuning their game-playing skills, the students flex their strategic-thinking muscles by uncovering the mathematical principles underlying the games—skills that are applicable anywhere, Gould says.

Emory University is known for its demanding academics, outstanding undergraduate college of arts and sciences, highly ranked professional schools and state-of-the-art research facilities. For nearly two decades Emory has been named one of the country's top 25 national universities by U.S. News & World Report. In addition to its nine schools, the university encompasses The Carter Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Emory Healthcare, the state's largest and most comprehensive health care system.

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