HSEM3049H: Dice: History, Mathematics, Philosophy, and Culture

In this course we will explore the world of dice. After a brief (one-lecture) survey of the history of dice prior to the 17th century, the course will be divided into four sections (although the material from each section will overlap with earlier sections):1. We will explore the mathematical revolution that occurred during the 17th Century that led to the development of the modern mathematical theory of probability, and we will pay special attention to the probabilistic analysis of dice games.2. We will explore the various philosophical puzzles that arise when we try to understand what probability claims “really mean”, and examine a number of different philosophical interpretations of probability.3. We will explore the recent 20th and 21st century enthusiasm for tabletop and roleplaying games, and the role that various kinds of dice play in such games.4. We will return to the mathematics of dice, exploring what have come to be called “crazy dice” – non-standard dice that have various unexpected properties.

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