Foundations of Coding Theory

During the sixteenth century, Cardano wrote a fascinating work called The Book on Games of Chance. In it he gives an extremely candid recount­ ing and personal appraisal of some aspects of his most remarkable life. * One feature of the book is striking for the modern scientist or mathemati­ cian accustomed to current publishing practices. It is brought out during Cardano's discussion of his investigations of certain special questions of applied probability, namely, the question of how to win at