74
Views
0
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Articles

Juan Caramuel (1606–1682) and the Spanish version of the Passedix game

&
 

Abstract

The game of chance called Passedix was known at least since the Middle Ages around the whole of Western Europe. It is based on the throw of three fair dice. The simplest version, for two players, consists of throwing the three dice once and summing up the numbers on the three upper faces. If this sum is greater than 10, it favours the player; if it is less than or equal to 10, it favours the opponent. A simple calculation of probabilities can show that the game is fair, in the sense of an equal probability of winning for both players. The first time we find explicit reference to this game is in an encyclopaedic work on mathematics, published in two volumes in 1667 and 1670, by the Spaniard Juan Caramuel. In this article, we describe and translate the part of this work which Caramuel dedicates to this game.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1 A Trinitarian formula found from the works of Sts Ambrose and Augustine onwards, alluding to Genesis 18:2.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.