Probability > An Intersection is a collection of elements (like people, places, or things) that belong to two or more sets. The intersection is like a container with the elements as the contents. The container itself says nothing about the…
A Union B (Union Set)
Probability > What is “A Union B”? A Union B means that A happens or B happens (or perhaps both happens). These could be events, objects, or just about anything else. For example: A person buys a scratch off lottery…
Empty Set
Probability > The empty set (∅) has no members. This placeholder is equivalent to the role of “zero” in any number system. Examples of empty sets include: The set of real numbers x such that x2 + 5, The number…
Inverse Probability & Distribution
Bayes Theorem > Contents: What is Inverse Probability? What is an Inverse Distribution? What is Inverse Probability? Inverse probability is the probability of things that are unobserved; or, more technically, the probability distribution of an unobserved variable. It’s generally considered…
Superfactorial: Definition (Sloane, Pickover’s)
Statistics Definitions > The term superfactorial has two slightly different definitions: as a product of factorials (Sloane & Plouffe, 1995) or as a tower of factorials involving compound exponents (Pickover, 1995). Sloan and Pouffe’s form is the most common. 1.…
Pairwise Disjoint
Statistics Definitions > Pairwise disjoint events don’t have any outcomes in common. In probability, the term is often used synonymously with mutually exclusive. A subtle difference is sometimes defined in set theory. If the intersection of two events is the…
Countable Additivity
Probability > The countable additivity axiom states that the probability of a union of a finite (or countably infinite) collection of disjoint events is the sum of their individual probabilities (disjoint events can’t happen at the same time; They are…
Trinomial Coefficient & Theorem: Definition
Statistics Definitions > In probability, the trinomial coefficient (sometimes called the central trinomial coefficient) is the number of ways of partitioning a set of objects into three disjoint subsets. The value of the trinomial coefficient can be calculated as (Hilton…
Median
Statistics Definitions > Contents: Definition and Median Formula. Calculation for an odd set of numbers. Calculation for an even set of numbers. Average vs. Median. Calculation for a Grouped Frequency Distribution. Excel Instructions What is the Median? The median tells…
Measurement Variable: Definition, Examples
Types of Variables > Simply put, a measurement variable (sometimes called a numeric variable) expresses some type of measurement and has a number associated with it. For example: 12 cm, 5 feet, or 310 meters. The measured quantity doesn’t have…