Probability and Statistics Lecture Notes
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Measure-Theoretic Probability I
Measure-Theoretic Probability I Steven P.Lalley Winter 2017 1 1 Measure Theory 1.1 Why Measure Theory? There are two different views – not necessarily exclusive – on what “probability” means: the subjectivist view and the frequentist view. To the subjectivist, probability is a system of laws that should govern a rational person’s behavior in situations where a bet must be placed (not necessarily just in a casino, but in situations where a decision must be made about how to proceed when only imperfect information about the outcome of the decision is available, for instance, should I allow Dr. Scissorhands to replace my arthritic knee by a plastic joint?). To the frequentist, the laws of probability describe the long- run relative frequencies of different events in “experiments” that can be repeated under roughly identical conditions, for instance, rolling a pair of dice. For the frequentist inter- pretation, it is imperative that probability spaces be large enough to allow a description of an experiment, like dice-rolling, that is repeated infinitely many times, and that the mathematical laws should permit easy handling of limits, so that one can make sense of things like “the probability that the long-run fraction of dice rolls where the two dice sum to 7 is 1/6”. But even for the subjectivist, the laws of probability should allow for description of situations where there might be a continuum of possible outcomes, or pos- sible actions to be taken. Once one is reconciled to the need for such flexibility, it soon becomes apparent that measure theory (the theory of countably additive, as opposed to merely finitely additive measures) is the only way to go. -
The Probability Set-Up.Pdf
CHAPTER 2 The probability set-up 2.1. Basic theory of probability We will have a sample space, denoted by S (sometimes Ω) that consists of all possible outcomes. For example, if we roll two dice, the sample space would be all possible pairs made up of the numbers one through six. An event is a subset of S. Another example is to toss a coin 2 times, and let S = fHH;HT;TH;TT g; or to let S be the possible orders in which 5 horses nish in a horse race; or S the possible prices of some stock at closing time today; or S = [0; 1); the age at which someone dies; or S the points in a circle, the possible places a dart can hit. We should also keep in mind that the same setting can be described using dierent sample set. For example, in two solutions in Example 1.30 we used two dierent sample sets. 2.1.1. Sets. We start by describing elementary operations on sets. By a set we mean a collection of distinct objects called elements of the set, and we consider a set as an object in its own right. Set operations Suppose S is a set. We say that A ⊂ S, that is, A is a subset of S if every element in A is contained in S; A [ B is the union of sets A ⊂ S and B ⊂ S and denotes the points of S that are in A or B or both; A \ B is the intersection of sets A ⊂ S and B ⊂ S and is the set of points that are in both A and B; ; denotes the empty set; Ac is the complement of A, that is, the points in S that are not in A. -
Introduction to Stochastic Processes - Lecture Notes (With 33 Illustrations)
Introduction to Stochastic Processes - Lecture Notes (with 33 illustrations) Gordan Žitković Department of Mathematics The University of Texas at Austin Contents 1 Probability review 4 1.1 Random variables . 4 1.2 Countable sets . 5 1.3 Discrete random variables . 5 1.4 Expectation . 7 1.5 Events and probability . 8 1.6 Dependence and independence . 9 1.7 Conditional probability . 10 1.8 Examples . 12 2 Mathematica in 15 min 15 2.1 Basic Syntax . 15 2.2 Numerical Approximation . 16 2.3 Expression Manipulation . 16 2.4 Lists and Functions . 17 2.5 Linear Algebra . 19 2.6 Predefined Constants . 20 2.7 Calculus . 20 2.8 Solving Equations . 22 2.9 Graphics . 22 2.10 Probability Distributions and Simulation . 23 2.11 Help Commands . 24 2.12 Common Mistakes . 25 3 Stochastic Processes 26 3.1 The canonical probability space . 27 3.2 Constructing the Random Walk . 28 3.3 Simulation . 29 3.3.1 Random number generation . 29 3.3.2 Simulation of Random Variables . 30 3.4 Monte Carlo Integration . 33 4 The Simple Random Walk 35 4.1 Construction . 35 4.2 The maximum . 36 1 CONTENTS 5 Generating functions 40 5.1 Definition and first properties . 40 5.2 Convolution and moments . 42 5.3 Random sums and Wald’s identity . 44 6 Random walks - advanced methods 48 6.1 Stopping times . 48 6.2 Wald’s identity II . 50 6.3 The distribution of the first hitting time T1 .......................... 52 6.3.1 A recursive formula . 52 6.3.2 Generating-function approach . -
1 Probabilities
1 Probabilities 1.1 Experiments with randomness We will use the term experiment in a very general way to refer to some process that produces a random outcome. Examples: (Ask class for some first) Here are some discrete examples: • roll a die • flip a coin • flip a coin until we get heads And here are some continuous examples: • height of a U of A student • random number in [0, 1] • the time it takes until a radioactive substance undergoes a decay These examples share the following common features: There is a proce- dure or natural phenomena called the experiment. It has a set of possible outcomes. There is a way to assign probabilities to sets of possible outcomes. We will call this a probability measure. 1.2 Outcomes and events Definition 1. An experiment is a well defined procedure or sequence of procedures that produces an outcome. The set of possible outcomes is called the sample space. We will typically denote an individual outcome by ω and the sample space by Ω. Definition 2. An event is a subset of the sample space. This definition will be changed when we come to the definition ofa σ-field. The next thing to define is a probability measure. Before we can do this properly we need some more structure, so for now we just make an informal definition. A probability measure is a function on the collection of events 1 that assign a number between 0 and 1 to each event and satisfies certain properties. NB: A probability measure is not a function on Ω. -
Propensities and Probabilities
ARTICLE IN PRESS Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 38 (2007) 593–625 www.elsevier.com/locate/shpsb Propensities and probabilities Nuel Belnap 1028-A Cathedral of Learning, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA Received 19 May 2006; accepted 6 September 2006 Abstract Popper’s introduction of ‘‘propensity’’ was intended to provide a solid conceptual foundation for objective single-case probabilities. By considering the partly opposed contributions of Humphreys and Miller and Salmon, it is argued that when properly understood, propensities can in fact be understood as objective single-case causal probabilities of transitions between concrete events. The chief claim is that propensities are well-explicated by describing how they fit into the existing formal theory of branching space-times, which is simultaneously indeterministic and causal. Several problematic examples, some commonsense and some quantum-mechanical, are used to make clear the advantages of invoking branching space-times theory in coming to understand propensities. r 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Propensities; Probabilities; Space-times; Originating causes; Indeterminism; Branching histories 1. Introduction You are flipping a fair coin fairly. You ascribe a probability to a single case by asserting The probability that heads will occur on this very next flip is about 50%. ð1Þ The rough idea of a single-case probability seems clear enough when one is told that the contrast is with either generalizations or frequencies attributed to populations asserted while you are flipping a fair coin fairly, such as In the long run; the probability of heads occurring among flips is about 50%. ð2Þ E-mail address: [email protected] 1355-2198/$ - see front matter r 2007 Elsevier Ltd. -
Determinism, Indeterminism and the Statistical Postulate
Tipicality, Explanation, The Statistical Postulate, and GRW Valia Allori Northern Illinois University [email protected] www.valiaallori.com Rutgers, October 24-26, 2019 1 Overview Context: Explanation of the macroscopic laws of thermodynamics in the Boltzmannian approach Among the ingredients: the statistical postulate (connected with the notion of probability) In this presentation: typicality Def: P is a typical property of X-type object/phenomena iff the vast majority of objects/phenomena of type X possesses P Part I: typicality is sufficient to explain macroscopic laws – explanatory schema based on typicality: you explain P if you explain that P is typical Part II: the statistical postulate as derivable from the dynamics Part III: if so, no preference for indeterministic theories in the quantum domain 2 Summary of Boltzmann- 1 Aim: ‘derive’ macroscopic laws of thermodynamics in terms of the microscopic Newtonian dynamics Problems: Technical ones: There are to many particles to do exact calculations Solution: statistical methods - if 푁 is big enough, one can use suitable mathematical technique to obtain information of macro systems even without having the exact solution Conceptual ones: Macro processes are irreversible, while micro processes are not Boltzmann 3 Summary of Boltzmann- 2 Postulate 1: the microscopic dynamics microstate 푋 = 푟1, … . 푟푁, 푣1, … . 푣푁 in phase space Partition of phase space into Macrostates Macrostate 푀(푋): set of macroscopically indistinguishable microstates Macroscopic view Many 푋 for a given 푀 given 푀, which 푋 is unknown Macro Properties (e.g. temperature): they slowly vary on the Macro scale There is a particular Macrostate which is incredibly bigger than the others There are many ways more to have, for instance, uniform temperature than not equilibrium (Macro)state 4 Summary of Boltzmann- 3 Entropy: (def) proportional to the size of the Macrostate in phase space (i.e. -
Topic 1: Basic Probability Definition of Sets
Topic 1: Basic probability ² Review of sets ² Sample space and probability measure ² Probability axioms ² Basic probability laws ² Conditional probability ² Bayes' rules ² Independence ² Counting ES150 { Harvard SEAS 1 De¯nition of Sets ² A set S is a collection of objects, which are the elements of the set. { The number of elements in a set S can be ¯nite S = fx1; x2; : : : ; xng or in¯nite but countable S = fx1; x2; : : :g or uncountably in¯nite. { S can also contain elements with a certain property S = fx j x satis¯es P g ² S is a subset of T if every element of S also belongs to T S ½ T or T S If S ½ T and T ½ S then S = T . ² The universal set is the set of all objects within a context. We then consider all sets S ½ . ES150 { Harvard SEAS 2 Set Operations and Properties ² Set operations { Complement Ac: set of all elements not in A { Union A \ B: set of all elements in A or B or both { Intersection A [ B: set of all elements common in both A and B { Di®erence A ¡ B: set containing all elements in A but not in B. ² Properties of set operations { Commutative: A \ B = B \ A and A [ B = B [ A. (But A ¡ B 6= B ¡ A). { Associative: (A \ B) \ C = A \ (B \ C) = A \ B \ C. (also for [) { Distributive: A \ (B [ C) = (A \ B) [ (A \ C) A [ (B \ C) = (A [ B) \ (A [ C) { DeMorgan's laws: (A \ B)c = Ac [ Bc (A [ B)c = Ac \ Bc ES150 { Harvard SEAS 3 Elements of probability theory A probabilistic model includes ² The sample space of an experiment { set of all possible outcomes { ¯nite or in¯nite { discrete or continuous { possibly multi-dimensional ² An event A is a set of outcomes { a subset of the sample space, A ½ . -
Negative Probability in the Framework of Combined Probability
Negative probability in the framework of combined probability Mark Burgin University of California, Los Angeles 405 Hilgard Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90095 Abstract Negative probability has found diverse applications in theoretical physics. Thus, construction of sound and rigorous mathematical foundations for negative probability is important for physics. There are different axiomatizations of conventional probability. So, it is natural that negative probability also has different axiomatic frameworks. In the previous publications (Burgin, 2009; 2010), negative probability was mathematically formalized and rigorously interpreted in the context of extended probability. In this work, axiomatic system that synthesizes conventional probability and negative probability is constructed in the form of combined probability. Both theoretical concepts – extended probability and combined probability – stretch conventional probability to negative values in a mathematically rigorous way. Here we obtain various properties of combined probability. In particular, relations between combined probability, extended probability and conventional probability are explicated. It is demonstrated (Theorems 3.1, 3.3 and 3.4) that extended probability and conventional probability are special cases of combined probability. 1 1. Introduction All students are taught that probability takes values only in the interval [0,1]. All conventional interpretations of probability support this assumption, while all popular formal descriptions, e.g., axioms for probability, such as Kolmogorov’s -
Measure Theory and Probability
Measure theory and probability Alexander Grigoryan University of Bielefeld Lecture Notes, October 2007 - February 2008 Contents 1 Construction of measures 3 1.1Introductionandexamples........................... 3 1.2 σ-additive measures ............................... 5 1.3 An example of using probability theory . .................. 7 1.4Extensionofmeasurefromsemi-ringtoaring................ 8 1.5 Extension of measure to a σ-algebra...................... 11 1.5.1 σ-rings and σ-algebras......................... 11 1.5.2 Outermeasure............................. 13 1.5.3 Symmetric difference.......................... 14 1.5.4 Measurable sets . ............................ 16 1.6 σ-finitemeasures................................ 20 1.7Nullsets..................................... 23 1.8 Lebesgue measure in Rn ............................ 25 1.8.1 Productmeasure............................ 25 1.8.2 Construction of measure in Rn. .................... 26 1.9 Probability spaces ................................ 28 1.10 Independence . ................................. 29 2 Integration 38 2.1 Measurable functions.............................. 38 2.2Sequencesofmeasurablefunctions....................... 42 2.3 The Lebesgue integral for finitemeasures................... 47 2.3.1 Simplefunctions............................ 47 2.3.2 Positivemeasurablefunctions..................... 49 2.3.3 Integrablefunctions........................... 52 2.4Integrationoversubsets............................ 56 2.5 The Lebesgue integral for σ-finitemeasure................. -
Probability Theory Review 1 Basic Notions: Sample Space, Events
Fall 2018 Probability Theory Review Aleksandar Nikolov 1 Basic Notions: Sample Space, Events 1 A probability space (Ω; P) consists of a finite or countable set Ω called the sample space, and the P probability function P :Ω ! R such that for all ! 2 Ω, P(!) ≥ 0 and !2Ω P(!) = 1. We call an element ! 2 Ω a sample point, or outcome, or simple event. You should think of a sample space as modeling some random \experiment": Ω contains all possible outcomes of the experiment, and P(!) gives the probability that we are going to get outcome !. Note that we never speak of probabilities except in relation to a sample space. At this point we give a few examples: 1. Consider a random experiment in which we toss a single fair coin. The two possible outcomes are that the coin comes up heads (H) or tails (T), and each of these outcomes is equally likely. 1 Then the probability space is (Ω; P), where Ω = fH; T g and P(H) = P(T ) = 2 . 2. Consider a random experiment in which we toss a single coin, but the coin lands heads with 2 probability 3 . Then, once again the sample space is Ω = fH; T g but the probability function 2 1 is different: P(H) = 3 , P(T ) = 3 . 3. Consider a random experiment in which we toss a fair coin three times, and each toss is independent of the others. The coin can come up heads all three times, or come up heads twice and then tails, etc. -
1 Probability Measure and Random Variables
1 Probability measure and random variables 1.1 Probability spaces and measures We will use the term experiment in a very general way to refer to some process that produces a random outcome. Definition 1. The set of possible outcomes is called the sample space. We will typically denote an individual outcome by ω and the sample space by Ω. Set notation: A B, A is a subset of B, means that every element of A is also in B. The union⊂ A B of A and B is the of all elements that are in A or B, including those that∪ are in both. The intersection A B of A and B is the set of all elements that are in both of A and B. ∩ n j=1Aj is the set of elements that are in at least one of the Aj. ∪n j=1Aj is the set of elements that are in all of the Aj. ∩∞ ∞ j=1Aj, j=1Aj are ... Two∩ sets A∪ and B are disjoint if A B = . denotes the empty set, the set with no elements. ∩ ∅ ∅ Complements: The complement of an event A, denoted Ac, is the set of outcomes (in Ω) which are not in A. Note that the book writes it as Ω A. De Morgan’s laws: \ (A B)c = Ac Bc ∪ ∩ (A B)c = Ac Bc ∩ ∪ c c ( Aj) = Aj j j [ \ c c ( Aj) = Aj j j \ [ (1) Definition 2. Let Ω be a sample space. A collection of subsets of Ω is a σ-field if F 1. -
CSE 21 Mathematics for Algorithm and System Analysis
CSE 21 Mathematics for Algorithm and System Analysis Unit 1: Basic Count and List Section 3: Set (cont’d) Section 4: Probability and Basic Counting CSE21: Lecture 4 1 Quiz Information • The first quiz will be in the first 15 minutes of the next class (Monday) at the same classroom. • You can use textbook and notes during the quiz. • For all the questions, no final number is necessary, arithmetic formula is enough. • Write down your analysis, e.g., applicable theorem(s)/rule(s). We will give partial credit if the analysis is correct but the result is wrong. CSE21: Lecture 4 2 Correction • For set U={1, 2, 3, 4, 5}, A={1, 2, 3}, B={3, 4}, – Set Difference A − B = {1, 2}, B − A ={4} – Symmetric Difference: A ⊕ B = ( A − B)∪(B − A)= {1, 2} ∪{4} = {1, 2, 4} CSE21: Lecture 4 3 Card Hand Illustration • 5 card hand of full house: a pair and a triple • 5 card hand with two pairs CSE21: Lecture 4 4 Review: Binomial Coefficient • Binomial Coefficient: number of subsets of A of size (or cardinality) k: n n! C(n, k) = = k k (! n − k)! CSE21: Lecture 4 5 Review : Deriving Recursions • How to construct the things of a given size by using the same type of things of a smaller size? • Recursion formula of binomial coefficient – C(0,0) = 1, – C(0, k) = 0 for k ≠ 0 and – C(n,k) = C(n−1, k−1)+ C(n−1, k) for n > 0; • It shows how recursion works and tells another way calculating C(n,k) besides the formula n n! C(n, k) = = k k (! n − k)! 6 Learning Outcomes • By the end of this lesson, you should be able to – Calculate set partition number by recursion.