Can a nonempty set has probability zero?

In summary,Suppose F to be a non-empty set with P(F)\neq 0. Call its closure be F'.Now let set theoretic different F'\F be A. Clearly, A could be non-empty. Is this the case where P(A)=0?No. The closure of a set of probability 0 could have probability 1.
  • #1
rukawakaede
59
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Reworded version:

I think I need to re-word as follow:

Can a nonempty set X with P(X)=0?

Suppose F to be a non-empty set with [tex]P(F)\neq 0[/tex]. Call its closure be F'.

Now let set theoretic different F'\F be A. Clearly, A could be non-empty.
Is this the case where P(A)=0?

Is not, how do you relate P(F) and P(F')?=================================Original version:
Can a nonempty set X has P(X)=0?

My thought is suppose a nonempty set F then its closure F'\F=A where P(A)=0.

Is this true??
 
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  • #2
rukawakaede said:
Can a nonempty set X has P(X)=0?

My thought is suppose a nonempty set F then its closure F'\F=A where P(A)=0.

Is this true??

No. The closure of a set of probability 0 could have probability 1
 
  • #3
lavinia said:
No. The closure of a set of probability 0 could have probability 1

I think I need to re-word as follow:

Suppose F to be a non-empty set with [tex]P(F)\neq 0[/tex]. Call its closure be F'.

Now let set theoretic different F'\F be A. Clearly, A could be non-empty.
Is this the case where P(A)=0?

Is not, how do you relate P(F) and P(F')?
 
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  • #4
Think of an absolutely continuous distribution (Gaussian as one example). The interval (0,1) could have non-zero probability. Its closure is [0,1], also with non-zero probability, but the difference you reference is [tex] \{0,1\}[/tex] which has zero probability.
 
  • #5
lavinia said:
No. The closure of a set of probability 0 could have probability 1

Of course: throw a dart at the real line. Then P(hitting a rational)=0, but

P(hitting some element in Cl(Q))=1

Then this is also an example of a set being non-empty, yet having probability zero.
 
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  • #6
Thanks for those commented above.
Now I understand that the probability of a set and probability its closure equals depends on the probability measure (or probability mass function) and of course the set itself.
 

FAQ: Can a nonempty set has probability zero?

Can a nonempty set have probability zero?

Yes, it is possible for a nonempty set to have probability zero. This means that the set contains elements, but the likelihood of any of those elements occurring is extremely small or even impossible.

What does it mean for a set to have probability zero?

Having probability zero means that the set has a very low or nonexistent chance of occurring. It does not mean that the set is empty, but rather that the likelihood of any element in the set occurring is negligible.

Is it possible for a set with probability zero to contain infinite elements?

Yes, a set with probability zero can contain an infinite number of elements. This is because the probability of each element occurring is so small that it essentially becomes zero when multiplied by an infinite number of elements.

Can a nonempty set with probability zero still be useful in probability and statistics?

Yes, even though the probability of a nonempty set with probability zero occurring is very small, it can still be useful in certain statistical calculations. For example, it can be used in the calculation of the probability of events that are impossible or have very low likelihood.

Are there any real-life examples of nonempty sets with probability zero?

Yes, there are many real-life examples of nonempty sets with probability zero. One example is the set of all possible outcomes of a perfectly fair coin toss. While the set contains two elements (heads and tails), the probability of each outcome occurring is 0.5, which can be considered as probability zero in some cases.

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