A random sequence has no order and does not follow an intelligible pattern. Individual random events are by definition unpredictable, but often the frequency of different outcomes over many events is predictable. Randomness is a measure of uncertainty of an outcome, rather than haphazardness, and applies to concepts of chance. The fields of mathematics, probability, and statistics use formal definitions of randomness.
In ancient history, the concepts of chance and randomness were intertwined with that of fate. Many ancient peoples threw dice to determine fate, and this later evolved into games of chance. Most ancient cultures used various methods of divination to attempt to circumvent randomness and fate.
The Chinese of 3000 years ago were the earliest people to formalise odds and chance. The Greek philosophers discussed randomness at length, but only in non-quantitative forms. It was only in the 16th century that Italian mathematicians began to formalise the odds associated with various games of chance. The invention of the calculus had a positive impact on the formal study of randomness.
