Basic Probability Concepts
The most fundamental concept of probability theory is that the future can't be known for certain. What will happen can't be known in advance, but the future can still be dealt with in terms of what could happen. Take rolling a die like the one shown in Figure E-1. It can never be known for certain which side will come up on the next roll; but we do know that there are exactly six possibilities.
Figure E.1. A Common Die
Probability assumes that the likelihood of each possible outcome can be expressed as a number. The likelihood numbers can sometimes be derived analytically. Our sense of rolling a die, assuming it's a ...
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