Neumann Prize 2023 winner announced

The 2023 Neumann Prize winner is Stephen M Stigler for his book Casanova's Lottery: The History of a Revolutionary Game of Chance, University of Chicago Press: Chicago, IL, 2022; 243 pp., ISBN: 9780226820798, paperback $22.50.

The BSHM Neumann Prize Committee considered a deep pool of outstanding nominations this year and would like to congratulate author Stephen Stigler.

This excellent book blends compelling mathematical content with fascinating historical context as it describes the remarkable story of the French lottery (Loterie) established in 1757. The lottery scheme was a suggestion from Giacomo Casanova and – apart from a brief pause during the French Revolution – it flourished until 1836, contributing substantially to the French exchequer. Stigler relies on a rich array of primary source materials, including rediscovered original lottery documents, for evidence of sound mathematical calculations that supported the French state’s willingness to risk significant loss during each individual draw due to the assurance of longer-term gains. Emergent questions in probability captured the interest of mathematicians contemporary with Casanova, including d’Alembert and Laplace. This narrative intertwines accessible yet thorough analysis of the inner workings of Casanova’s unique lottery and situates the story within the broader perspective of lotteries across Europe through his attempts to establish similar schemes in other countries.

—From the BSHM Neumann Prize Committee (Professor Chris Budd, Dr Deborah Kent, Dr Ciarán Mac an Bhaird (Chair)).

The next call for the BSHM Neumann Prize will be announced early in 2025.