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

For the kind of work that I’m doing, we need something that is more like a probability theory, where you’re not just measuring a number for each data point.

From Scientific American • Nov. 22, 2022

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

He helped lay the foundations of calculus and probability theory.

From New York Times • Jan. 31, 2022

In probability theory, an event is a set of outcomes of an experiment.

From Textbooks • Sep. 23, 2020

Using probability theory, I calculate that, given my assumption, the likelihood of this result is well below 5 percent, a commonly used “level of significance.”

From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos