Abraham Wald
Mathematician known for decision theory

Born
October 31st, 1902
122 years ago
Died
December 13th, 1950
74 years ago — 48 years old
Category
Thinkers & Philosophers
Country
Hungary
Links & References
A mathematician and economist contributed to the field of statistics and decision theory. In the 1940s, worked on statistical methods for wartime applications, including the development of techniques to analyze aircraft damage. Proposed the concept of survivorship bias, emphasizing the need to examine failures rather than just successes. This work has had lasting implications in various fields including economics, military strategy, and operations research.
Developed decision theory concepts
Contributed to survivorship bias analysis
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