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Random Variable

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Encyclopedia of Mathematical Geosciences

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

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Background

When Galileo dropped objects from the leaning tower of Pisa, he noted that, for a given height and meteorological condition, the falling time was the same. This is one example of a situation in which the result of the experiment is unique and predictable. These types of observations are called deterministic experiments.

Now flip a coin. The result is not unique anymore. More than one outcome is possible; the result is now uncertain. These experiments go by the name of random experiments.

Statistics uses the concept of probability to measure the chances of different outcomes in a random experiment. By convention, probabilities are always positive numbers including zero. There are three fundamental probability axioms (Hogg et al. 2018):

  • The probability of an impossible outcome is 0.

  • The maximum value of 1 denotes outcomes absolutely certain to occur.

  • If two outcomes of the same experiment cannot occur simultaneously, their probabilities are additive.

Probabilities can also be...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. U.S. Geological Survey, Geology, Energy & Minerals Science Center, Reston, VA, USA

    Ricardo A. Olea

Authors
  1. Ricardo A. Olea
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Correspondence to Ricardo A. Olea .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. System Science & Informatics Unit, Indian Statistical Institute- Bangalore Centre, Bangalore, India

    B. S. Daya Sagar

  2. Insititue of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Bei**g, China

    Qiuming Cheng

  3. School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK

    Jennifer McKinley

  4. Canada Geological Survey, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Frits Agterberg

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Olea, R.A. (2022). Random Variable. In: Daya Sagar, B.S., Cheng, Q., McKinley, J., Agterberg, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Mathematical Geosciences. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26050-7_429-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26050-7_429-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-26050-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-26050-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Earth and Environm. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Random Variable
    Published:
    12 April 2022

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26050-7_429-2

  2. Original

    Random Variable
    Published:
    24 August 2021

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26050-7_429-1

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