Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Mathematics/2011 November 4

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mathematics desk
< November 3 << Oct | November | Dec >> November 5 >
Welcome to the Wikipedia Mathematics Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is an archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.


November 4[edit]

Conditional probability question[edit]

Hi. I'm having a difficult time with some probability notation. I have some probability events A and B that satisfy P(B) = P(B|A)P(A). But P(A) itself is a conditional probability P(C|D). How do I write this out properly in terms of B, C and D? P(B) = P(B|C,D) P(C|D) ?? Many thanks. --18.189.121.106 (talk) 09:25, 4 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think this makes sense. You can condition a conditional probability but not on a conditional probability. P((B|C)|D) makes sense and is equal to P(B|C,D), but I know of no interpretation for P(B|(C|D)). C|D is not an event. -- Meni Rosenfeld (talk) 11:22, 4 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]
I omit the P and write just (A|B) for the probability of A conditioned on B. This is not standard, however. The unconditional probability of A is then written (A| ). The rule for conditional probability is (A,B|)=(A|B)(B|). Actually I identify the events by numbers rather than by letters. A=10. B=01. (A AND B)=11. (NOT A)=20. (NOT B)=02. Then the rule for conditional probability is written (11|00)=(10|01)(01|00). Bo Jacoby (talk) 12:53, 4 November 2011 (UTC).[reply]
i concur — Preceding unsigned comment added by 203.112.82.1 (talk) 19:51, 6 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]

graphs of functions[edit]

how to draw graph of f(x,y) in general. — Preceding unsigned comment added by nkp.59.165.108.89 (talk) 12:49, 4 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]

It cannot be done. --COVIZAPIBETEFOKY (talk) 12:54, 4 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]
For well-behaved functions surely it's possible to approximate the ideal graph by sampling and plotting that with a program? « Aaron Rotenberg « Talk « 13:33, 4 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]
Long ago Math geeks stole Contour lines to show how continuous functions of z = f(x,y) worked, but that's fallen down a black hole as of late. Hcobb (talk) 14:20, 4 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]
Plot (graphics) might be worth a look to see what kind of thing you want. Dmcq (talk) 14:36, 4 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]
In general it's not possible, but take a look at our article on the implicit function theorem. Fly by Night (talk) 13:39, 5 November 2011 (UTC)[reply]

thanks to all of u.