Probability And Probability Theory

Throughout history, dating back to 3600 BC, games of chance and gambling have existed ("Introduction- Gambling and Probability"). Since their invention, people have tried to decipher ways to predict the outcome of such games, thus a need to determine the likelihood of winning in games such as these evolved. The method created to suit this need is known as probability theory. Probability theory has been developed over hundreds of years, and is used to predict possible outcomes and assist in daily life. Probability has been developed and studied over time, and has been formed into formulas and theories that allow it to be used in a myriad of applications. Probability theory is a very important aspect of mathematics, and through the development

In order to determine whether two unrelated events, A and B, will occur at the same time one would use the multiplication rule(Taylor). In order to carry out this rule, one would multiply the probabilities of the two separate events together. The resulting number would be the probability that the two events occurred at the same time. The formula would be P(A and B) = P(A) x P(B)(Algebra lab source). In order to determine whether one of two unrelated events, A and B, will occur add their probabilities together. This formula would than be P(A or B)= P(A) + P(B) (Tanton). These new formulas expand the number of applications that classical probability

Meteorology is the branch of science that studies the climate and atmosphere, and is frequently used to predict the weather forecast. Meteorologists can use statistical information, gathered from probability techniques, to make certain predictions on possible temperature and precipitation occurrences. Meteorologists mainly use the subjective form of probability due to the reason that the weather and the climate are rather nonpredictable phenomena(harvard pdf). In this application of probability, meteorologists use a combination of past occurrences and patterns along with their own knowledge of the nature to which the weather works, to create probabilities, and later statistics, on the weather. Accordingly, the weather forecast, specifically precipitation, is commonly given in the form of a percent which is derived from using the formulas from probability theory(Harvard pdf). This ability to determine possible and likely weather patterns for the near futures is an extremely useful benefit from the modern use of probability theory in