The Birthday Problem, Lottery Coincidences and the Power of Very Large Numbers

The Birthday Problem, Lottery Coincidences and the Power of Very Large Numbers

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(1) Video Library > 7. Reasoning About Chance and Uncertainty: Philosophy, Rules and Fallacies

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Introduction

  • Introduction

Part 1: What is Probability?: A Gentle Introduction to the Philosophy of Probability

  • Introduction

What is Probability?

  • Probability: Why Learn This Stuff?
  • What is Inductive Logic?
  • Probability as a Mathematical Object vs What That Object Represents

Interpretations of Probability

  • Classical Probability
  • Logical Probability
  • Frequency Interpretations
  • Subjective (Bayesian) Probability
  • Propensity Interpretations

Part 2: The Logic of Probability: Introduction to the Basic Rules

  • Introduction

Preliminary Concepts

  • What Has a Probability? Propositions versus Events
  • Probabilities Range Between 0 and 1
  • Mutually Exclusive Events
  • Independent Events

The Basic Rules

  • The Negation Rule: P(not-A)

Disjunction Rules: P(A or B)

  • Restricted Disjunction Rule: P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B)
  • General Disjunction Rule: P(A or B) = P(A) + P(B) - P(A and B)

Conjunction Rules: P(A and B)

  • Restricted Conjunction Rule: P(A and B) = P(A) x P(B)
  • General Conjunction Rule: P(A and B) = P(A) x P(B|A)

Conditional Rules: P(A given B)

  • Conditional Probability Rule
  • Total Probability Rule
  • Bayes’ Rule

Part 3: Probability Fallacies: Understanding the Errors We Make When Reasoning About Chance and Uncertainty

  • Introduction

Coincidences: When the Impossible Becomes Inevitable

  • Introduction
  • The Basic Fallacy
  • Borel's Law: Understanding Impossible Events
  • How to Create the Illusion of Miraculous Predictive Power
  • The Birthday Problem, Lottery Coincidences and the Power of Very Large Numbers

The Gambler's Fallacy: Bias, Randomness and the Illusion of Control

  • Introduction
  • The Basic Fallacy
  • Fairness, Bias and Independence
  • How Can You Tell Whether a Chance Setup is Unfair?
  • The Physics of Coin Tosses
  • Casino Games: Why the House Always Wins
  • Cognitive Factors and the Psychology of Gambling

Small Sample Fallacies: Looking for Causes of Extreme Cases

  • The Small Sample Fallacy: Looking for Causes of Statistical Artifacts