Is there any known theorem about this?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the relationship between the mean values of a two-valued probability distribution before and after randomly erasing a subset of results. Participants explore whether the mean values and can be equal or approach equality under certain conditions related to the sample size N and the number of erased results M.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant proposes a scenario involving a two-valued probability distribution and questions whether the mean values (before erasure) and (after erasure) can be equal or approach equality for appropriate values of N and M.
  • Another participant distinguishes between sample means and theoretical means, suggesting that while sample means could differ, theoretical means are equal.
  • A participant seeks clarification on the difference between sample mean and theoretical mean, indicating interest in a theorem applicable to finite samples.
  • One participant references the law of large numbers, stating that the sample mean approaches the theoretical mean as N becomes infinite, but expresses uncertainty about the specific theorem the original poster is seeking.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that theoretical means are equal regardless of sample size, but there is disagreement on the behavior of sample means with finite N, and the discussion remains unresolved regarding specific theorems applicable to the scenario presented.

Contextual Notes

Participants note that for finite N and M, equality of and is impossible, and the discussion hinges on the conditions under which sample means may approximate theoretical means.

JK423
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Suppose that you have a probability distribution P of a parameter which, for simplicity, it is two-valued. For example, it could be a coin where we denote heads with "+" and tails with "-". Suppose that we throw the coin N times, and the results tend to follow the probability ditribution P for large enough N (which naturally could be 50%-50%).
We then calculate the mean value of all these results, which are a series of "+" and "-" (N in total), and find a number <S>.
Suppose now, that, we erase M of these results (with M<N) from the total N, and we are left with the rest N-M results. BUT, we do the erasure with a completely random way. We calculate, again, the mean value with the N-M results, <S'>.

QUESTION
Will the mean values <S> and <S'> be equal?

The answer will surely depend on the numbers N, M. Is there any known theorem about this, that guarantees the equality for appropriate N, M?

Edit: For finite N, M ofcourse the equality is impossible. What i mean is whether <S'> can approach <S> very very close, for appropriate N, M.
 
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Is your question about the sample mean or the theoretical mean? For the sample means, they could be different. For the theoretical means, they are equal.
 
Hmm, what is the difference? Perhaps, you mean that the sample mean includes a finite N while the theoretical an infinite N?

I am looking for a theorem on sample mean with finite N, so that it's applicable in real applications..
I am glad that the theoretical means are equal though :). Is there any proof of this to your knowledge?
 
The theoretical mean is determined from the probability distribution. It has nothing to do with sample size. There is a theorem (law of large numbers) which states (under the proper conditions) that the sample mean -> theoretical mean as N becomes infinite.

I don't know what kind of theorem you are looking for. Perhaps the following may help.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sampling_(statistics )
 
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