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The racetrack : a scientific approach

Includes bibliographical references.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Kreel, Larry
Other Authors: Stewart, Theodor J
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Department of Statistical Sciences 2016
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access_status_str Open Access
author Kreel, Larry
author2 Stewart, Theodor J
author_browse Kreel, Larry
Stewart, Theodor J
author_facet Stewart, Theodor J
Kreel, Larry
author_sort Kreel, Larry
collection Thesis
description Includes bibliographical references.
format Thesis
id oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/17342
institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:32:56.154Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2016
publishDateRange 2016
publishDateSort 2016
publisher Department of Statistical Sciences
publisherStr Department of Statistical Sciences
record_format dspace
source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/17342 The racetrack : a scientific approach Kreel, Larry Stewart, Theodor J Statistical Sciences decision theory probability theory regression analysis Includes bibliographical references. Horseracing and its associated activity of gambling invites academic research of a multidisciplinary nature. Economics, psychology, mathematics and statistics are all fields that have investigated the two topics. In 1976 economists discovered a new body of data on which they could test their theories. For many years psychologists have investigated human behaviour in gambling situations. Mathematicians have developed optimal betting strategies. Statisticians have assisted in all the investigations as well as utilised decision theory, probability theory and regression analysis, in their own right, within the discipline. Why do academics devote their time to this subject? The furthering of knowledge in general in the above fields is important. Also, because the possibility of making money with relatively little work exists, people from all walks of life will be drawn to the intellectual challenge of finding winners. Researchers know that in order to derive money making systems, research on an academic scale is necessary. The amount of data available is phenomenal and although much of it is utilized by the public, some of it is not and that which is, is not always used in a consistent manner. The research in this work concentrates on all four fields mentioned above. A general, overview of the work done in each section is as follows. In chapters two and three, the betting market is examined within the framework of the efficient markets hypothesis. Tests of the three well known forms of efficiency are performed. In chapter four, within the framework of the expected utility hypothesis, the behaviour of gamblers is analysed. The investigation concentrates on behaviour observed at the racetrack, but draws ideas from other gambling situations as well. In chapter five, an investigation is made into horseraces, considering a race to be a sports event. This will consider the competing horses as athletes and will try and identify which fundamental factors are most important in determining the victor of such a race. In chapter six, some statistical theory, which has simple applications in horseracing is examined. In chapter seven, the economics of racetrack management is investigated. 2016-02-29T12:02:01Z 2016-02-29T12:02:01Z 1993 Master Thesis Masters MSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/17342 eng application/pdf Department of Statistical Sciences Faculty of Science University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Statistical Sciences
decision theory
probability theory
regression analysis
Kreel, Larry
The racetrack : a scientific approach
thesis_degree_str Master's
title The racetrack : a scientific approach
title_full The racetrack : a scientific approach
title_fullStr The racetrack : a scientific approach
title_full_unstemmed The racetrack : a scientific approach
title_short The racetrack : a scientific approach
title_sort racetrack a scientific approach
topic Statistical Sciences
decision theory
probability theory
regression analysis
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/17342
work_keys_str_mv AT kreellarry theracetrackascientificapproach
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