1.3.

Definitions of Probability
The probability of a given event is an expression of likelihood or chance of
occurrence of an event. How the number is assigned would depend on the
interpretation of the term probability. There is no general agreement about its
interpretation. However, broadly speaking, there are four different schools of
thought on the concept of probability.
Mathematical (or classical or A priori) definition of probability
Let be a sample space associated with a random experiment. Let
in . We make the following assumptions on :
(i)
(ii)

be an event

It is discrete and finite

The outcomes in it are equally likely

Then the probability of happening (or occurrence) of the event

is defined by

Note:
i) The probability of non-happening (or non-occurrence) of

is given by

That is
ii) If

, then

. That is, probability of an impossible

event is zero.
iii) If

, then

. That is, probability of a certain event is one.

iv) For any event in ,

.
v) The odds in favour of are given by
vi) The odds against of are given by

.
.

vii) If the odds in favour of

viii) If the odds against of
ix)

and

are
are

, then
, then

.
.

are counted by using methods of counting discussed in Module 1.1.

Limitations: The mathematical definition of probability breaks down in the

following cases:
(i)
(ii)

The outcomes in the sample space are not equally likely.

The number of outcomes in the sample space is infinite.

Statistical (or Empirical or Relative Frequency or Von Mises) Definition of

Probability
If a random experiment is performed repeatedly under identical conditions, then
the limiting value of the ratio of the number of times the event occurs to the
number of trials, as the number of trials becomes indefinitely large, is called the
probability of happening of the event, it being assumed that the limit is finite and
unique.
Symbolically, if in
the happening of

trials an event
is given by

happens

times, then the probability of

(1.3.1)
Note:
i) Since the probability is obtained objectively by repetitive empirical
observations, it is known as Empirical Probability.
ii) The empirical probability approaches the classical probability as the number of
trials becomes indefinitely large.
Limitations of Empirical Probability
(i)
(ii)

If an experiment is repeated a large number of times, the experimental

conditions may not remain identical.
The limit in (1.3.1) may not attain a unique value, however large may be.

Subjective definition of probability: In this method, probabilities are assigned to

events according to the knowledge, experience and belief about the happening of
the events. The main limitation of this definition is, it varies from person to
person.
Axiomatic Definition of Probability: Let be a sample space and let be a
-field associated with . A probability function (or measure) is a real valued
set function having domain and which satisfies the following three axioms:
1.
2.
3. If

, for every
(Non-negativity)
,
is normed (Normality)
are mutually exclusive events in , then

P Ai P Ai ( - additive or countably additive)
i 1 i 1

Thus, the probability function is a normed measure on (the measurable space)

is called a Probability space. This definition is useful in proving theorems
on probability.
Note: The elements of

are events in .

Solved Examples using Mathematical Definition of Probability

In this section, we use mathematical definition of probability for computing
probabilities. Also we use methods of counting for counting the number of
outcomes in an event and sample space.
Example 1: A uniform die is thrown at random. Find the probability that the
number on it is (i) even (ii) odd (iii) even or multiple of 3 (iv) even and multiple
of 3 (v) greater than 4
Solution:
(i)

The number of favourable cases to the event of getting an even number is

, viz.,
.
Required probability

(ii)

The number of favourable cases to the event of getting an odd number is 3,

viz., 1, 3, 5.
Required probability

(iii)

The number of favourable cases to the event of getting even or multiple of

3 is 4, viz., 2, 3, 4, 6.
Required probability

(iv)

The number of favourable cases to the event of getting even and multiple
of 3 is 1, viz., 6.
Required probability

(v)

The number of favourable cases to the event of getting greater than 4 is 2,

viz., 5 and 6.
Required probability

Example 2: Four cards are drawn at random from a pack of 52 cards. Find the
probability that
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
(vi)

They are a king, a queen, a jack and an ace.

Two are kings and two are aces.
All are diamonds.
Two are red and two are black.
There is one card of each suit.
There are two cards of clubs and two cards of diamonds.

Solution: Four cards can be drawn from a well shuffled pack of 52 cards in 52C4
ways, which gives the exhaustive number of cases.
(i) 1 king can be drawn out of the 4 kings is 4C1 4 ways. Similarly, 1 queen, 1 jack
and an ace can each be drawn in 4C1 4 ways. Since any one of the ways of
drawing a king can be associated with any one of the ways of drawing a queen,
a jack and an ace, the favourable number of cases are 4C1 4C1 4C1 4C1 .
Hence, required probability

C1 4C1 4C1 4C1 256

52
52
C4
C4

(ii) Required probability

C2 4C2
52
C4

(iii) Since 4 cards can be drawn out of 13 cards (since there are 13 cards of
diamond in a pack of cards) in 13C4 ways,
Required probability

13

C4
C4

52

(iv) Since there are 26 red cards (of diamonds and hearts) and 26 black cards (of
spades and clubs) in a pack of cards,
Required probability

C2 26C2
52
C4

26

(v) Since, in a pack of cards there are 13 cards of each suit,

Required probability
(vi) Required probability

C1 13C1 13C1 13C1

52
C4

13

C2 13C2
52
C4

13

Example 3: What is the chance that a non-leap year should have fifty-three
Sundays?
Solution: A non-leap year consists of 365 days,

52 full weeks and one over-

day. A non-leap year will consist of 53 Sundays if this over-day is Sunday. This
over-day can be anyone of the possible outcomes:
(i) Sunday (ii) Monday (iii) Tuesday (iv) Wednesday (v) Thursday (vi) Friday (vii)
Saturday, ., 7 outcomes in all. Of these, the number of ways favourable to the
required event viz., the over-day being Sunday is 1.
Required probability

Example 4: Find the probability that in 5 tossings, a perfect coin turns up head at
least 3 times in succession.
Solution: In 5 tossings of a coin, the sample space is:

Exhaustive number of cases

The favourable cases for getting at least three heads in succession are :
Starting with 1st toss:
Starting with 2nd toss:
Starting with 3rd toss:
Hence, the total number of favourable cases for getting at least 3 heads in
succession are 8.
Required probability
Example 5: A bag contains 20 tickets marked with numbers 1 to 20. One ticket is
drawn at random. Find the probability that it will be a multiple of (i)2 or 5, (ii)3 or 5
Solution: One ticket can be drawn out of 20 tickets in 20C1 20 ways, which
determine the exhaustive number of cases.
(i) The number of cases favourable to getting the ticket number which is:
(a) a multiple of 2 are 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, ., 10 cases.
(b) a multiple of 5 are 5, 10, 15, 20 i.e., 4 cases
Of these, two cases viz., 10 and 20 are duplicated.
Hence the number of distinct cases favourable to getting a number which is a
multiple of 2 or 5 are:
.
Required probability

(ii) The cases favourable to getting a multiple of 3 are 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 i.e., 6
cases in all and getting a multiple of 5 are 5, 10, 15, 20 i.e., 4 cases in all. Of
these, one case viz., 15 is duplicated.
Hence, the number of distinct cases favourable to getting a multiple of 3 or 5 is
.
Required probability
Example 6: An urn contains 8 white and 3 red balls. If two balls are drawn at
random, find the probability that
(i) both are white,

(ii) both are red,

(iii) one is of each color.

Solution: Total number of balls in the urn is

drawn out of 11 balls in 11C2 ways,
Exhaustive number of cases 11C2

. Since 2 balls can be

1110
55
2

(i) If both the drawn balls are white, they must be selected out of the 8 white
balls and this can be done in 8C2

8 7
28 ways.
2

Probability that both the balls are white

(ii) If both the drawn balls are red, they must be drawn out of the 3 red balls and
this can be done in 3C2 3 ways. Hence, the probability that both the drawn
balls are red

(iii) The number of favourable cases for drawing one white ball and one red ball is
C1 3C1 8 3 24

Probability that one ball is white and other is red

Example 7: The letters of the word article are arranged at random. Find the
probability that the vowels may occupy the even places.
Solution: The word article contains 7 distinct letters which can be arranged
among themselves in ways. Hence exhaustive number of cases is .
In the word article there are 3 vowels, viz.,
and and these are to be placed
in, three even places, viz., 2nd, 4th and 6th place. This can be done in , ways. For
each arrangement, the remaining 4 consonants can be arranged in ways.
Hence, associating these two operations, the number of favourable cases for the
vowels to occupy even places is
.
Required probability
Example 8: Twenty books are placed at random in a shelf. Find the probability
that a particular pair of books shall be:
(i) Always together

(ii) Never together

Solution: Since 20 books can be arranged among themselves in

exhaustive number of cases is
.

ways, the

(i) Let us now regard that the two particular books are tagged together so that
we shall regard them as a single book. Thus, now we have
books which can be arranged among themselves in
ways. But the two
books which are fastened together can be arranged among themselves in
ways.
Hence, associating these two operations, the number of favourable cases for
getting a particular pair of books always together is
.
Required probability is

(ii) Total number of arrangement of 20 books among themselves is

and the
total number of arrangements that a particular pair of books will always be
together is
, [See part (i)]. Hence, the number of arrangements in which
a particular pair of books is never together is

Required probability
Aliter:

[A particular pair of books shall never be together]

[A particular pair of books is always together]

Example 9: persons are seated on chairs at a round table. Find the

probability that two specified persons are sitting next to each other.
Solution: The persons can be seated in chairs at a round table in
ways, which gives the exhaustive number of cases.
If two specified persons, say, and sit together, then regarding and fixed
together, we get
persons in all, who can be seated at a round table in
ways. Further, since and can interchange their positions in ways,
total number of favourable cases of getting and together is
.
Hence, the required probability is:
Aliter: Let us suppose that of the persons, two persons, say, and are to be
seated together at a round table. After one of these two persons, say occupies
the chair, the other person can occupy any one of the remaining
chairs.
Out of these
seats, the number of seats favourable to making sit next
to

is 2 (since

can sit on either side of ). Hence the required probability is

Example 10: In a village of 21 inhabitants, a person tells a rumour to a second

person, who in turn repeats it to a third person, etc. at each step the recipient of
the rumour is chosen at random from the 20 people available. Find the
probability that the rumour will be told 10 times without:
(i) returning to the originator ;

(ii) being repeated to any person

Solution: Since any person can tell the rumour to any one of the remaining
people in
ways, the exhaustive number of cases that the rumour
will be told 10 times is
.

(i) Let us define the event :

The rumour will be told 10 times without returning to the originator.
The originator can tell the rumour to any one of the remaining 20 persons in 20
ways, and each of the
recipients of the rumour can tell it to any of the
remaining
persons (without returning it to the originator) in 19
ways. Hence the favourable number of cases for are
. The required
probability is given by :

(ii) Let us define the event :

The rumour is told 10 times without being repeated to any person.
In this case the first person (narrator) can tell the rumour to any one of the
available
persons; the second person can tell the rumour to any one
of the remaining
persons; the third person can tell the rumour to
anyone of the remaining
persons; ; the 10th person can tell the
rumour to any one of the remaining
persons.
Hence the favourable number of cases for

are

Required probability
Example 11: If 10 men, among whom are and , stand in a row, what is the
probability that there will be exactly 3 men between and ?
Solution: If 10 men stand in a row, then can occupy any one of the 10 positions
and can occupy any one of the remaining 9 positions. Hence, the exhaustive
number of cases for the positions of two men and are
.
The cases favourable to the event that there are exactly 3 men between
are given below:

and

(i)
(ii)

is in the 1st position and is in the 5th position.

is in the 2nd position and is in the 6th position.

(vi)

is in the 6th position and

Further, since and

favourable cases

is in the 10th position.

can interchange their positions, the total number of

.

Required probability
Example12: A five digit number is formed by the digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 (without
repetition). Find the probability that the number formed is divisible by 4.
Solution: The total number of ways in which the five digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 can be
arranged among themselves is . Out of these, the number of arrangements
which begin with 0 (and therefore will give only 4-digited numbers) is .
Hence the total number of five digited numbers that can be formed from digits 0,
1, 2, 3, 4 is
The number formed will be divisible by 4 if the number formed by the two digits
on extreme right (i.e., the digits in the unit and tens places) is divisible by 4. Such
numbers are:
and
If the numbers end in 04, the remaining three digits viz., 1, 2 and 3 can be
arranged among themselves in in each case.
If the numbers end with 12, the remaining three digits 0, 2, 3 can be arranged in
ways. Out of these we shall reject those numbers which start with 0 (i.e., have
0 as the first digit). There are
such cases. Hence, the number of five
digited numbers ending with 12 is :

Similarly the number of 5 digited numbers ending with 24 and 32 each is 4. Hence
the total number of favourable cases is:
Hence, required probability
Example13: There are four hotels in a certain town. If 3 men check into hotels in
a day, what is the probability that each checks into a different hotel?
Solution: Since each man can check into any one of the four hotels in 4C1 4 ways,
the 3 men can check into 4 hotels in
exhaustive number of cases.

ways, which gives the

If three men are to check into different hotels, then first man can check into any
one of the 4 hotels in 4C1 4 ways; the second man can check into any one of the
remaining 3 hotels in 3C1 3 ways; and the third man can check into any one of
the remaining two hotels in 2C1 2 ways. Hence, favourable number of cases for
each man checking into a different hotel is: 4C1 3C1 2C1 4 3 2 24
Required probability