An Algorithmic Probabilist’s Apology

Abstract

It is a common observation that the intrinsic time of human experience is a highly nonlinear function of clock time. Anyone whose earliest efforts at scientific computation date back some 30 years or more must now feel separated from them by a very long span of time. The computational environment of the 1950s already belongs to a past that will be unimaginable to the generation for which the personal computer is a childhood toy. It may therefore be appropriate to start this essay with a few personal recollections typical of that era.