If the probability of two events are equal, can we conclude that the events are equal? In other words how does one show that the event of getting at most 3 x's is the same as the sum of the events of getting exactly 3 x's and at most 2 x's.
when do we say two events are equal
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probability
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0What you wrote after *In other words* is not related to what you wrote before it. – 2011-09-22
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0"the sum of the events of" - Are you trying to *add* events? Do you mean union of these events? Or, do you mean that the probabilities are to be added? – 2011-09-22
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1"If the probability of two events are equal, can we conclude that the events are equal?" - No. The events of a dice throw being a $1$ and a dice throw being a $2$ are not equal, even though the probabilities are (usually) the same. – 2011-09-22
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0Events are **sets**. From equal probability you can't conclude equality of events. From equality of events you certainly can conclude equal probability. The event of at most $3$ $x$'s is the disjoint union of the events exactly $3$ and at most $2$. You get at most $3$ Aces if you get exactly $3$ or at most $2$. – 2011-09-22
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0"If the probability of two events are equal, can we conclude that the events are equal?" - No. To give you a really simple analogy, remember that you cannot say that two sets are equal just because their cardinalities (sizes) match (e.g., $\{1,2\} \neq \{3,4\}$). Similarly, just because two events happen to have the same probability, they are not necessarily the same. – 2011-09-22
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0@all: Thanks. I knew about showing that one is a subset of the other and vice versa approach. I was hoping that there was another way. – 2011-09-22
1 Answers
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NO, same probability is not used to define "equality" of events. Instead, just say "equal probability", or be fancy and say "equiprobable".