The discussion centers on deriving a general formula for calculating the probability of multiple events (a, b, c, ... z) that are not mutually exclusive. The user successfully created formulas for 2, 3, and 4 variables but struggled to generalize the approach. The solution provided is the Principle of Inclusion/Exclusion, which is a well-established method in probability theory for handling such scenarios.
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osaad said:i need a general form to solve Prob(a or b or c ... or z) that r not mutually exclusive.
i managed to derive it for 2,3 and 4 variables but i can't seem to get a general form out of it, its recursive.
any1 know a way?
awkward said:It's called the Principle of Inclusion / Exclusion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principle_of_inclusion-exclusion#In_probability