Conditional Probability

In summary, Radiohead, a band that is inspired by The Beatles, has a 46% chance of being a great band according to music critics. However, the probability of The Beatles being great given that they inspired Radiohead is unknown.
  • #1
Fusilli_Jerry89
159
0
A band called Radiohead is inspired by an old band called The Beatles.
50% of music critics think the beatles was a great (G) band, 40% that it
was moderate (M) and 10% that it was awful (A). These critics have also
compiled the following table:0.8 0.1 0.1
0.1 0.9 0
0.2 0.3 0.5The table says that the probability of a new band (B2) being great given
that the inspiring band (B1) was great is P (B2 = GjB1 = G) = 0:8: Similarly, P (B2 = GjB1 = M) = 0:1, P (B2 = MjB1 = A) = 0:3, and so on.
Note that the numbers in the rows add up to 1, so the table is a probability
transition matrix.
1. Given what the critics think of the Beatles and the fact that the Beatles
inspired Radiohead, what is the probability that Radiohead is a great
band?
2. What is P (B1 = GjB2 = G)?

For 1 I get 0.50*0.8 + 0.40*0.1 + 0.10*0.2 = 0.46 which I think is correct.However, I am having trouble with part 2. I can write

P(B1 = G | B2 = G) = P(B2 = G | B1 = G)P(B1 = G) / P(B2 = G)

which leads to 0.8 * P(B1 = G) / P(B2 = G)

I also notice that P(B2 = G) = 1 cause we are told.

This leads to

P(B1 = G | B2 = G) = 0.8*P(B1 = G)
 
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  • #2
Could P(B1 = G) be 0.5? (What the critics said)
 

1. What is conditional probability?

Conditional probability is the likelihood of an event occurring given that another event has already happened. It is a measure of the probability of one event happening, based on the occurrence of a different event.

2. How is conditional probability calculated?

Conditional probability is calculated by dividing the probability of the joint occurrence of two events by the probability of the first event. This is represented as P(A|B) = P(A and B) / P(B), where P(A|B) is the conditional probability of event A given event B has occurred.

3. What is the difference between joint probability and conditional probability?

Joint probability is the likelihood of two events occurring at the same time, while conditional probability is the likelihood of one event occurring given that another event has already happened. In other words, joint probability looks at the probability of both events happening together, while conditional probability looks at the probability of one event happening based on the occurrence of another event.

4. How is conditional probability used in real life?

Conditional probability is used in various fields such as medicine, finance, and data analysis. For example, in medicine, it can be used to calculate the likelihood of a patient having a certain disease given their symptoms. In finance, it can be used to determine the probability of an investment being profitable based on various market conditions.

5. What is the importance of understanding conditional probability?

Understanding conditional probability is important because it allows us to make more accurate predictions and decisions based on the available information. It is also essential in fields such as statistics and data analysis, where it is used to analyze and interpret data. Additionally, it helps us to better understand cause and effect relationships between events.

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