Introduction to Probability

What is Probability?

Probability is the likelihood of a specific event occurring. It is expressed as a number between 0 and 1, where 0 indicates impossibility and 1 indicates certainty.

Basic Concepts

When working with probability, it's important to understand some basic concepts:

• Sample Space: The set of all possible outcomes of a random experiment.
• Event: A subset of the sample space, which is a collection of one or more outcomes.
• Probability of an Event: The likelihood that a specific event will occur, denoted by P(event).

Calculating Probability

There are different ways to calculate probability, depending on the type of experiment:

• Classical Probability: Involves equally likely outcomes, and is calculated using the formula P(event) = (number of favorable outcomes) / (total number of outcomes).
• Relative Frequency: Involves conducting an experiment and determining the probability based on the observed frequency of the event.
• Subjective Probability: Involves using personal judgment or experience to determine the likelihood of an event.

Study Guide

Here are some key concepts to focus on when studying probability:

1. Understanding the sample space and events.
2. Calculating probabilities using the classical method and relative frequency.
3. Recognizing the difference between theoretical and experimental probability.
4. Practicing with different types of probability problems, such as independent and dependent events.