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What is probability?

The standard answers to this question are
  1. ``the ratio of the number of favourable cases to the number of all cases'';
  2. ``the ratio of the number of times the event occurs in a test series to the total number of trials in the series''.
It is very easy to show that neither of these statements can define the concept of probability: We have to conclude that if we want to make use of these statements to assign a numerical value to probability, in those cases in which we judge that the clauses are satisfied, we need a better definition of probability.


next up previous contents
Next: Subjective definition of probability Up: Probability Previous: Probability   Contents
Giulio D'Agostini 2003-05-15