p. 523. Probability and statistics
- Roger BowleyRoger BowleyDepartment of Physics University of Nottingham
- , and Mariana Sánchez
Abstract
This chapter explores two notions of probability used in science: classical probability and statistical probability. It clarifies that the classical notion of probability assigns, a priori, equal probabilities to all possible outcomes of an event while statistical probability measures the relative frequency of an event. It also explains that simple events, which are events that cannot be broken up into simpler parts, can build up compound events, that is, aggregates of simple events. The chapter also introduces the acid test for determining whether two events are independent of each other. It reviews the use of classical probability and the importance of counting the number of ways in which various events can happen, leading to the concepts of arrangement, permutations, and combinations.
