Thierry Gaudin & Marie-Christine Maurel 
Chance, Calculation and Life 

Chance, Calculation and Life brings together 16 original papers from the
colloquium of the same name, organized by the International Cultural
Center of Cerisy in 2019.

From mathematics to the humanities and biology, there are many
concepts and questions related to chance. What are the different types
of chance? Does chance correspond to a lack of knowledge about the
causes of events, or is there a truly intrinsic and irreducible chance?
Does chance preside over our decisions? Does it govern evolution? Is it
at the origin of life? What part do chance and necessity play in biology?

This book answers these fundamental questions by bringing together
the clear and richly documented contributions of mathematicians,
physicists, biologists and philosophers who make this book an
incomparable tool for work and reflection.

About the author

Thierry Gaudin is an engineer at MINES Paris Tech and holds a doctorate in
Information Sciences and Communication from Paris Nanterre University,
France. He is a widely renowned expert in innovation policy and has worked
with the OECD, the European Commission and the World Bank.

Marie-Christine Maurel is Professor at Sorbonne University and a researcher at
the Institute of Systematics, Evolution, Biodiversity, MNHN, Paris, France.

Jean-Charles Pomerol is Professor Emeritus at Sorbonne University, France. He
is a specialist in Decision Support Systems and former project leader for
information technology in the Engineering Sciences Department at the CNRS.
He was formerly in charge of the Artificial Intelligence laboratory at UPMC, Paris,
as well as the President of UPMC between 2006 and 2011.