Probability is an important component of discrete mathematics. For instance, if you consider a population of 10 and then take four at a time, without duplicates, what is the chance that a certain combination within the subsets of four will occur? Or, given the set of all possible events, what is the chance that a certain event will occur, given that the event can result from various causes? The construction of trees and graphs , which we will discuss later, depends on the probability of combinations of events. Since we want to traverse trees and graphs in order of the most likely and most important events, we need to know probability.
Completing this unit should take you approximately 4 hours.
We'll begin by laying the foundation of your study of probability. This video will walk through basic concepts you will need to know.
Next, we learn about the sample spaces associated with random experiments, about the events that can occur from random experiments, and have a look at a specific event's probability of occurrence.
There are situations where a problem can be solved by representing it as a simpler problem, or one that is similar and already solved. We discuss those opportunities here.
Events can be dependent or independent of something else. This video considers events whose probability of occurrence is independent of all other events.
Take this assessment to see how well you understood this unit.