Introduction to
Probability
Probability is the study of the likelihood of an event occurring. It provides a
framework for understanding and quantifying uncertain outcomes, which is
crucial in fields like statistics, finance, and decision-making.
Example
1. To find the probability of event A (rolling an even number), we count the number of favorable
outcomes (even numbers) and divide it by the total number of possible outcomes (the size of
the sample space).
There are 3 even numbers (2, 4, 6) and 6 possible outcomes in total.
𝑃(𝐴)=Number of favorable outcomes / Total number of outcomes=3/6=1/2
So, the probability of rolling an even number on a fair six-sided die is 1/2or 0.5.
Sample Space
Sample Space Example
The set of all possible
The set of all possible outcomes when rolling a six-sided die is:
outcomes in an
experiment or
𝑆={1,2,3,4,5,6}
observation is called the
sample space.
Each number represents one of the six faces of the die that can land
face up. This sample space includes all the possible results of this
experiment.
Sample Points
Sample Points Example
Individual outcomes • Rolling a six-sided die.
within the sample space
are called sample points. Sample Space (S): 𝑆={1,2,3,4,5,6}
Each
sample point represents Sample Point:
a possible result of the
One specific outcome from this sample space is {4}{4}.
experiment.
Here, 44 is a sample point representing one possible result of the
die roll.
Events and their Types
1 Event 2 Types of Events
An event is a subset of the sample space, Events can be classified as simple,
representing a specific outcome or set of compound or mutually exclusive
outcomes.
3 Compound Events 4 Mutually Exclusive Events
Compound events are events that are a Events that cannot occur simultaneously
combination of two or more simple are known as mutually exclusive events.
events.
Probability of an Event
Definition Applications
The probability of an event is calculated by Probability is used in fields like insurance,
dividing the number of favorable outcomes gambling, and weather forecasting to make
by the total number of possible outcomes in informed decisions.
the sample space.
Solved Examples on Events &
Probability of Events
—
Event A: Drawing a Queen: Event A consists of drawing any one of the four Queens in the deck.
A = {Queen of hearts, Queen of diamonds, Queen of clubs, Queen of spades}
Probability of Event A (Drawing a Queen): There are 4 Queens in a deck of 52 cards.
𝑃(𝐴)=Number of Queens/Total number of cards=4/52=1/13≈0.077
CONCLUSION
Knowing about probability, sample space, sample points, and events helps us make sense of situations
where we're not sure what will happen. By figuring out all the possible outcomes and picking out the ones
we care about, we can work out how likely different things are to happen. This helps us make better
decisions in lots of different situations.
