Probability Notes Bindu K.

Things to remember
1. A ∪ B is the event either A or B or both.

s
2. A ∩ B is the event both A and B.
3. A0 is the event not A.

mp
4. A–B = A ∩ B 0 is the event A but not B.
5. A and B are mutually exclusive if A ∩ B = φ.
6. P (A) ≥ 0.
7. P (S) = 1.

8. If A and B are any two events,

P (A ∪ B) = P (A) + P (B) − P (A ∩ B)

9. If A and B are mutually exclusive,

La
P (A ∪ B) = P (A) + P (B)

10. P (φ) = 0.
11. P (A0 ) = 1 − P (A).

12. P (A) = P (A ∩ B) + P (A ∩ B 0 )
13. Conditional Probability:

P (A ∩ B)
P (B|A) = ; P (A) 6= 0
o
P (A)

14. If A and B are independent,

P (A ∩ B) = P (A)(P (B)
inf

15. If an event A must result in one of the mutually exclusive events B1 , B2 , . . . , Bn ,then
n
X
P (A) = P (Bi )P (A|Bi )
i=1

16. Baye’s Theorem: Suppose that B1 , B2 , . . . , Bn are mutually exclusive

events whose union is the sample space.Then, if A is any event,

P (Bk )P (A|Bk )
P (Bk |A) = Pn
i=1 P (Bi )P (A|Bi )

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 Probability Notes Bindu K.

17. Fundamental Principle of counting: If one thing can be accomplished

in n1 different ways and after this , a second thing can be accomplished in
n2 different ways, . . . , and finally a k th thing can can be accomplished in

s
nk different ways,then all the things can be accomplished in the specified
order in n1 n2 · · · nk different ways.
18. The total number
 of combinations of n things taken r at a time is denoted

mp

n
by n Cr or .
r
 
n n!
= n Cr =
r r!(n − r)!
o La
inf

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