ABSTRACT
Mathematical concepts play an important role in engineering, and the discipline of reliability relies heavily on probability concepts for its underlying support. Thus, for the real appreciation of reliability, a good understanding of probability theory is absolutely necessary. Originally, probability theory started with the study of games
of chance. Two typical examples of these games are roulette and cards. With the passage of time, probability theory found applications in many other areas. A detailed history of probability is given in references 1 and 2.
