Probability theory

Probability theory is a branch of mathematics that has evolved from the investigation of social, behavioral, and physical phenomena that are influenced by randomness and uncertainty. For much of its early life, probability theory dealt almost exclusively with gambling games, and, even though there were important contributions made by such distinguished mathematicians as Pierre de Fermat, Blaise Pascal, and Pierre-Simon de Laplace, the field lacked respectability and failed to attract sustained attention.