Can a nonempty set has probability zero?

AI Thread Summary
A nonempty set can have a probability of zero, but its closure may not. For example, a nonempty set F with non-zero probability can have a closure F' that also has non-zero probability. The difference between F' and F can be a non-empty set A, which may have a probability of zero. Ultimately, the relationship between the probabilities of a set and its closure depends on the specific probability measure used.
rukawakaede
Messages
58
Reaction score
0
Reworded version:

I think I need to re-word as follow:

Can a nonempty set X with P(X)=0?

Suppose F to be a non-empty set with P(F)\neq 0. Call its closure be F'.

Now let set theoretic different F'\F be A. Clearly, A could be non-empty.
Is this the case where P(A)=0?

Is not, how do you relate P(F) and P(F')?=================================Original version:
Can a nonempty set X has P(X)=0?

My thought is suppose a nonempty set F then its closure F'\F=A where P(A)=0.

Is this true??
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
rukawakaede said:
Can a nonempty set X has P(X)=0?

My thought is suppose a nonempty set F then its closure F'\F=A where P(A)=0.

Is this true??

No. The closure of a set of probability 0 could have probability 1
 
lavinia said:
No. The closure of a set of probability 0 could have probability 1

I think I need to re-word as follow:

Suppose F to be a non-empty set with P(F)\neq 0. Call its closure be F'.

Now let set theoretic different F'\F be A. Clearly, A could be non-empty.
Is this the case where P(A)=0?

Is not, how do you relate P(F) and P(F')?
 
Last edited:
Think of an absolutely continuous distribution (Gaussian as one example). The interval (0,1) could have non-zero probability. Its closure is [0,1], also with non-zero probability, but the difference you reference is \{0,1\} which has zero probability.
 
lavinia said:
No. The closure of a set of probability 0 could have probability 1

Of course: throw a dart at the real line. Then P(hitting a rational)=0, but

P(hitting some element in Cl(Q))=1

Then this is also an example of a set being non-empty, yet having probability zero.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for those commented above.
Now I understand that the probability of a set and probability its closure equals depends on the probability measure (or probability mass function) and of course the set itself.
 
I was reading documentation about the soundness and completeness of logic formal systems. Consider the following $$\vdash_S \phi$$ where ##S## is the proof-system making part the formal system and ##\phi## is a wff (well formed formula) of the formal language. Note the blank on left of the turnstile symbol ##\vdash_S##, as far as I can tell it actually represents the empty set. So what does it mean ? I guess it actually means ##\phi## is a theorem of the formal system, i.e. there is a...
Back
Top