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January 18, 2005
Probability Theory
Statistics and Probablity Theory alternative paths connecting the truth with the observed world. You study probability theory first for pretty much the same reason you study differentiation before you study integration.
(lectures from 1/18 and 1/20)
What is a probability?
The Law of Large Numbers is essentially the practical definition of probability. It implies that the sample mean converges to the population expected value.
The sample variance converges to the population variance.
The "aX+b" rules will prove invaluable.
We use the aX+b rules to calculate probabilities for normal distributions using the standard normal table.
This is similar in spirit to the translation between scales on a thermometer.
Posted by bparke at January 18, 2005 09:30 PM