Gambling probability.- De Moivre (Abraham) The Doctrine of Chances: or, A Method of Calculating the Probability of Events in Play, second edition, annotated copy, 1738.

Gambling probability.- De Moivre (Abraham) The Doctrine of Chances: or, A Method of Calculating the Probability of Events in Play, second edition, woodcut title-vignette, ornaments and initials, engraved head & tail-piece, tables, some full-page, with blank f. at end of preliminaries, some annotation in a 19th century hand, at points extensive, including to a few blank interleaves, occasional spotting, lightly browned throughout, slightly heavier to peripheral ff., later vellum-backed boards, spine with small gilt monogram stamp with motto 'Meden agan' in Greek to foot, lacking spine label, vellum lightly soiled, rubbed at extremities, with light wear to spine affecting gilt date to foot, [ESTC N6410; cf. Kress 4395 (258pp. variant)], 4to, Printed for the Author, by H. Woodfall, 1738.

*** Important work on probability by a friend of Newton's, heavily annotated in a later hand. The work was greatly expanded from the first edition of 1718, which was dedicated to Newton. ESTC records two variants of the second edition: one numbering 256pp. (as in this copy), the other 258pp. with a final Table of Contents & errata f. (ESTC T33064).

Provenance: Stephanos Karathéodory, Ottoman Greek diplomat and father of mathematician Konstantin Karathéodory (engraved bookplate; binding).