Practice question · True or false
If the probabilities of all outcomes sum to 1, no single outcome can have probability greater than 1.
Hints
- Probabilities are non-negative.
- A term above 1 would force another below 0.
Show the answer
True
Why
True. With every probability non-negative and the total exactly 1, no single term can exceed 1, one that did would force another negative. The two axioms together are what make probability a measure, and they are why a computed 'probability' above 1 is a sign the model is wrong.
Practise Introduction to Probability
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