Probability and random processes for electrical and computer engineers Preface to the Second Edition Several years ago we had the idea to offer a course in basic probability and random vectors for engineering students that would focus on the topics that they would en counter in later studies. As electrical engineers we find there is strong motivation for learning these topics if they can see immediate applications in such areas as binary and cellular communication computer graphics music speech applications multimedia aerospace control and many more such topics. The course offered was very successful; it was offered twice a year (in a quarter system) and was populated by students not only in electrical engineering but also in other areas of engineering and computer science. Instructors in higher level courses in communications control and signal processing were gratified by this new system because they did not need to spend long hours reviewing or face blank stares when bringing up the topic of a random variable. The course called Probabilistic Analysis of Signals and Systems was taught mainly from notes and it was a few years before we came around to writing the first edition of this book. The first edition was successful and it wasnt long before our publisher at CRC Press was asking for a second edition. True to form and still recovering from our initial writing pains it took some time before we actually agreed to sign a contract and even longer before we put down the first new words on paper. The good news is that our original intent has not changed; so we can use most of the earlier parts of the book with suitable enhancements. Whats more we have added some new topics such as confidence intervals and greatly reorganized the chapter on random processes so that by itself it can serve as an introduction to this more Updated and written in a clear concise style this second edition offers an introduction to probability and random variables making the subject relevant and interesting for students in electrical and computer engineering. It features applications and examples that are also useful to anyone involved in other branches of engineering or physical sciences. Chapters focus on the probability model random variables and transformations inequalities and limit theorems random processes and basic combinatorics. The author reinforces presentation of these and other topics using MATLAB computer projects that are available on the CRC Press website