Financial Literacy: Finding Your Way in the Financial Market (Transcript)

By Connel Fullenkamp

Financial Literacy: Finding Your Way in the Financial Market is the companion book to the audio/video series of the same name. It contains a full transcript of the series as well as the complete course guidebook which includes lecture notes, bibliography, and more.

About this series:

For thousands of years, games and puzzles have been an enjoyable and rewarding aspect of human civilization. They tease our brains. They challenge our memories. They strengthen our competitive skills. And whether it’s chess, poker, or Sudoku,
most games have this in common: Everything you need to win is rooted in mathematics.

Using nothing more than a simple grasp of math, you can discover optimal ways to win games and solve puzzles with the speed and accuracy of professional players—many of whom attribute their professional gaming success to mathematical strategies. By using math as a unique lens through which to explore some of the world’s most popular games, you’ll

improve the ways you win games and solve puzzles;
better understand exciting concepts in everything from algebra to probability to game theory;
make better decisions and take calculated risks in personal investing and other real-world situations;
keep your mind active and sharp at any age; and, perhaps best of all,
discover whole new levels of enjoyment with games you only thought you knew how to play.

Join award-winning Professor Arthur T. Benjamin—one of The Great Courses’ most popular instructors and a veritable mathemagician at making math enjoyable for everyone—for an in-depth look at new, better, more math-oriented ways to play and win games in The Mathematics of Games and Puzzles: From Cards to Sudoku. In just twelve 45-minute lessons, you’ll learn a rewarding set of skills you can apply to countless games and puzzles, whether you’re playing them in your living room or in a crowded casino. You’ll also learn that behind even the simplest games lies proof of just how beautiful and far-reaching mathematics is in your everyday life.

A Math-Centric Way to Play Games

With the same characteristic excitement that has won him the acclaim of countless of our lifelong learners, Professor Benjamin covers a range of games, puzzles, and brainteasers that we’ve all played, tried to play, or wanted to play at some point.

Zero-sum games: Many of the most popular games are what mathematicians and strategists call zero-sum games, or contests against an intelligent adversary whose aims oppose yours. Alongside Professor Benjamin, you’ll uncover math-centric, proven ways to succeed at backgammon, poker, and even a simple game of rock-paper-scissors.
Games of chance: Many of us are intimidated by casino games. And if we’re not, we’re always looking for ways to stay ahead of our opponents. In addition to revealing the surprising math behind roulette, craps, video poker, blackjack, and more, Professor Benjamin offers invaluable tips on improving the way you bluff, wager, and count cards.
Classic puzzles and brainteasers: Whether it’s Sudoku, peg solitaire, or even a Rubik’s Cube, puzzles can be as frustrating as they are entertaining. What math tools can help you fill a Sudoku grid without ever guessing? How can you solve a Rubik’s Cube as if it were second nature? Find out all this and more in several lectures devoted to mastering puzzling challenges.

The Mathematics of Games and Puzzles takes an elementary mathematical approach to understanding how each game and puzzle is played and won. While the mathematics in this course is detailed, Professor Benjamin always makes sure to break down the complexity into simple language that anyone eager to learn can grasp.

Discover the Tips and Tricks of Champions

These lessons are also packed with dozens of specific tips, tricks, strategies, and methodologies for getting the best of your opponents, improving your technique, increasing your chances of winning, and much more. You’ll get an invaluable toolkit to take with you every time you’re at a poker

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Great Courses
• Release date: Aug 31, 2013
• ISBN: 9781598039832

Book preview