Probability and Statistics UNIT-I

Lecture Notes:1

PROBABILITY

INTRODUCTION: The theory of probability is the random phenomena which are not
deterministic. In analyzing and interpreting data that involves an element of “chance” or
uncertainty, probability theory plays a vital role in the theory and application of statistics.

USEFUL DEFINITIONS:
Experiment: An experiment is a physical process or an action that can be observed and result
noted.

Ex: 1) Tossing of a coin

2) Firing of a missile

Note: An experiment can be classified into two ways

1) Deterministic experiment (predictable) 2)Non Deterministic experiment

(unpredictable)

Deterministic experiment: An experiment is said to be Deterministic if the result of the

experiment can be predicted with certainty prior.

Ex: If we throw the stone towards the sky automatically it will falls down to the
earth
due to the gravitational force.

Non Deterministic experiment: An experiment is said to be Non Deterministic if the result of

the experiment can’t be predicted with certainty prior.

Ex: 1.Throwing of a die

2.Tossing of a coin.

Note: Non deterministic experiment is again called as Random experiment and here onwards
experiment means Random experiment.

Trail: A single performance of a random experiment is called as trail.

Ex: 1.Throwing of a die

2.Tossing of a coin.

Event or Outcome: The result of a trail is said to be the event or outcome.

Ex: 1. Getting Head and Getting Tail are the two event in tossing of a coin.
2. Getting-1,Getting-2………Getting-6 are the six events in throwing of adie.

T. Ram Prasad; BS&H Dept.

Probability and Statistics UNIT-I

Note: Simply we can classify the event into two ways,they are 1. elementary event
2. compound event

Ex: In throwing of a die the event of getting odd number is a compound event of the
elementary events getting-1,getting-3 and getting-5.

Sample space : The collection of all possible outcomes in a trail of a random experiment is
said to be the sample space. And it is denoted by the letter ‘ S ‘.

Ex: 1.In Tossing of a coin the sample space is: S={ Head ,Tail}
2. In throwing of a die the sample space is: S={ getting-1,getting-2,……getting-6}.

Note: 1.Any subset ‘A’ of of sample space ‘S’is also called as an Event.
2. The null set is called null event .
3. The sample space ‘S’ is called sure event.

CLASSIFICATION OF EVENTS:

1.Exaustive events: The total number of events of atrail ina ran experiment are called as
exhaustiv events.

Ex: In tossing of a coin there are two exhaustive events namely getting head and
Getting tail.

2.Equallylikely events: Some events are said to be Equally likely if no one of them is expected
to Occur in preference to the other.

Ex: In throwing of a die all six events namely getting-1, getting-2……getting-6

are equally likely events.

3.Mutualiy exclusive events: Some events are said to be mutually exclusive if all can’t happen
Simultaneously. i.e the events ‘A ‘ and ‘B’ are said to be mutually
Exclusive if A∩B={}.

Ex: In throwing of a die all six events namely getting-1, getting-2……getting-6

are mutually exclusive events.

4.Independent events: Some events are said to be indepent events if the occurrence or
nonoccurrence of one event has no influence on occurrence or nonoccurrence of other
events in trail of a random experiment .

Ex: If we draw a card from a pack of cards and replace it before drawing the second
card then the result of the second drawing is independent of first draw. But
however if the first card is drawn and not replaced then second draw is
dependent on the first draw.

T. Ram Prasad; BS&H Dept.