Probability theory
Probability Theory
Probability theory (pronunciation: /ˌprɒbəˈbɪlɪti θɪəri/) is a branch of mathematics that deals with the analysis of random phenomena. The central objects of probability theory are random variables, stochastic processes, and events, which are mathematical abstractions of non-deterministic events or measured quantities that may either be single occurrences or evolve over time in an apparently random fashion.
Etymology
The term "probability" comes from the Latin probabilitas, which can also mean "probity", a measure of the authority of a witness in a legal case in Europe, and often correlated with the witness's nobility. In a sense, it can be seen as a measure of certainty. The term "theory" comes from the Greek word "theoria", which means a looking at, viewing, beholding.
Related Terms
- Random variable: A random variable is a variable whose possible values are numerical outcomes of a random phenomenon. There are two types of random variables, discrete and continuous.
- Stochastic process: A stochastic process is a mathematical object usually defined as a collection of random variables.
- Event (probability theory): In probability theory, an event is an outcome or defined collection of outcomes of a random experiment or process.
- Mathematics: Mathematics is the study of such topics as quantity (number theory), structure (algebra), space (geometry), and change (mathematical analysis). It has no generally accepted definition.
- Statistics: Statistics is the discipline that concerns the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of data.
- Measure (mathematics): In mathematical analysis, a measure on a set is a systematic way to assign a number to each suitable subset of that set, intuitively interpreted as its size.
See Also
- Bayesian probability
- Frequentist probability
- Probability distribution
- Probability density function
- Probability mass function
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Probability theory
- Wikipedia's article - Probability theory
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