probability theory

American  

noun

Mathematics, Statistics.

1. the theory of analyzing and making statements concerning the probability of the occurrence of uncertain events.

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Etymology

Origin of probability theory

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

“Anthropologists, sociologists, historians and psychologists, as well as those working on probability theory and physics, took him to have important insights for their disciplines.”

From New York Times • May 28, 2023

Lizza’s mother, Oksana, a professor of probability theory and statistical mathematics at Pryazovskyi State Technical University, didn’t want to leave without her own parents, who lived in another neighborhood.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2022

That is because the process of percolation is subject to a general principle in probability theory called the zero-one law, discovered by Russian mathematician Andrey Kolmogorov in the 1930s.

From Scientific American • Mar. 16, 2021

Dr. Conway’s boundless curiosity produced profound contributions to number theory, game theory, coding theory, group theory, knot theory, topology, probability theory, algebra, analysis, combinatorics and more.

From New York Times • Apr. 15, 2020

Since Galileo, of course, all sorts of new languages have been invented with which to do science, including algebra, calculus and probability theory.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton