TECHNION - ISRAEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Int.

to Probability and Statistics

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
International School
Tutorial 1 – Algebra of events, Combinatorics
Algebra of events and basic probability model:
Two ways for solutions:
- Direct algebra using intersection and union of events
- Venn diagrams, graphic solution

Random trial – Repeatable process which has multiple possible outcomes e.g. toss 2 coins
Sample space (Ω) – all possible outcomes e.g. Ω = {HT, HH, TH, TT}
Event – a set of one or more outcomes in the sample space e.g. A = {TT}
Probability – a number assigned to an event e.g. Prob(A) = 0.25
simple event – A single outcome, denoted e (it is an element of the set)
Set notation
“The element e is a member of A” - e ∈ A
“The element e is not a member of A” - e ∉ A
“A is a proper subset of B” or “every element in A is also a member of B, and A  B ” – A ⊂ B

Complementary event to A is all that is not a member of A – Ac, A

A certain event must occur, Ω = certain event
An impossible event cannot occur, (such as empty set, ∅)

Venn diagrams:
The sample space is represented by a rectangle
Events are represented by circles or ellipses inside the rectangle
A∪Ac = Ω

A∪B “A or B” – union
A∩B “A and B” - intersection
A and B are disjoint or mutually exclusive if A∩B = ∅ (A and Ac are mutually exclusive)
TECHNION - ISRAEL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY Int. to Probability and Statistics
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
International School
Commutative:

Associative:

Distributive:

De Morgan’s: