What is probability?

  • (noun): The quality of being probable.
    See also — Additional definitions below

Probability

Probability is a measure of the expectation that an event will occur or a statement is true. Probabilities are given a value between 0 (will not occur) and 1 (will occur). The higher the probability of an event, the more certain we are that the event will occur.

Read more about Probability.

Some articles on probability:

Marilyn Vos Savant - Errors in The Column
... Obviously, the probability of an employee being chosen in one quarter is 25 percent ... Marilyn's response was The probability remains 25 percent, despite the repeated testing ... size of the pool remains the same, so does the probability ...
Probability - Relation To Randomness
... universe, based on Newtonian concepts, there would be no probability if all conditions are known, (Laplace's demon) ... Probability theory is required to describe quantum phenomena ...
Confidence Interval - Statistical Theory - Definition
... Let X be a random sample from a probability distribution with statistical parameters θ, which is a quantity to be estimated, and φ, representing quantities that ... Here Prθ,φ indicates the probability distribution of X characterised by (θ, φ) ... v(X)) covers the unknown value θ with a high probability no matter what the true value of θ actually is ...
Triangular Distribution
... In probability theory and statistics, the triangular distribution is a continuous probability distribution with lower limit a, upper limit b and mode c ... The probability density function is given by whose cases avoid division by zero if c = a or c = b ...

More definitions of "probability":

  • (noun): A measure of how likely it is that some event will occur.
    Example: "What is the probability of rain?"
    Synonyms: chance

Famous quotes containing the word probability:

    The source of Pyrrhonism comes from failing to distinguish between a demonstration, a proof and a probability. A demonstration supposes that the contradictory idea is impossible; a proof of fact is where all the reasons lead to belief, without there being any pretext for doubt; a probability is where the reasons for belief are stronger than those for doubting.
    Andrew Michael Ramsay (1686–1743)

    Legends of prediction are common throughout the whole Household of Man. Gods speak, spirits speak, computers speak. Oracular ambiguity or statistical probability provides loopholes, and discrepancies are expunged by Faith.
    Ursula K. Le Guin (b. 1929)

    Crushed to earth and rising again is an author’s gymnastic. Once he fails to struggle to his feet and grab his pen, he will contemplate a fact he should never permit himself to face: that in all probability books have been written, are being written, will be written, better than anything he has done, is doing, or will do.
    Fannie Hurst (1889–1968)