What is the probability that there is a burglary given John and Mary calls?

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In summary, the conversation discusses how to find the value of P(B | J & M) and suggests breaking it down into smaller parts. It also mentions the need for values such as P(J & M) and P(J & M | A) and questions whether J and M are independent events. The importance of knowing these dependencies is highlighted by the fact that different dependencies can result in different answers. The conversation concludes with a suggestion that the events M | A and J | A may be independent, but this is not explicitly stated in the given information.
  • #1
shivajikobardan
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Homework Statement
What is the probability that there is a burglary given John and Mary calls?
Relevant Equations
bayes theorem maybe.
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this is the question



Here is a tutorial video but his steps are very confusing to me. I personally know bayes theorem and have already studied probability and got good marks in it(It may not be a metric for being quality in it given that it is nepal we are talking about.)
https://courses.engr.illinois.edu/ece448/sp2020/slides/lec15.pdf
here is the slide I'm referring to. The answer seems 0.72 or 0.28 according to video.

My attempt-:
I try finding P(B/(J,M)) but I don't get a way to find it. Burglary is independent of anything else. IDK how to find this value.
 
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  • #2
Try breaking it into parts, eg:

P(B | J & M) = P(B | A) x P(A | J & M)
Then use Bayes' Theorem to work out P(B | A) and P(A | J & M).

Note that the question gives you P(A | B & E), P(A | B & ~E), P(~B & E), P(~B & ~E)
[left-side table, ~ means NOT]
plus P(B), P(E) and since you said they're independent, you have P(B & E) = P(B)P(E)
[top two values]
plus P(J | A), P(J | ~A), P(M | A), P(M | ~A)
[bottom of slide]

You are going to need the value for P(J & M) which means you need to know whether J and M are independent ( in which case we'll have P(J & M) = P(J) P(M) ). Do they tell you that?

You are also going to need the value for P(J & M | A) which means you need to know whether J|A and M|A are independent ( in which case we'll have P(J & M | A) = P(J | A) P(M | A) ). Do they tell you that?
 
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  • #3
andrewkirk said:
Try breaking it into parts, eg:

P(B | J & M) = P(B | A) x P(A | J & M)
Then use Bayes' Theorem to work out P(B | A) and P(A | J & M).

Note that the question gives you P(A | B & E), P(A | B & ~E), P(~B & E), P(~B & ~E)
[left-side table, ~ means NOT]
plus P(B), P(E) and since you said they're independent, you have P(B & E) = P(B)P(E)
[top two values]
plus P(J | A), P(J | ~A), P(M | A), P(M | ~A)
[bottom of slide]
..
andrewkirk said:
You are going to need the value for P(J & M) which means you need to know whether J and M are independent ( in which case we'll have P(J & M) = P(J) P(M) ). Do they tell you that?
Yes J and M are independent to each other.
andrewkirk said:
You are also going to need the value for P(J & M | A) which means you need to know whether J|A and M|A are independent ( in which case we'll have P(J & M | A) = P(J | A) P(M | A) ). Do they tell you that?
J is dependent on A and so is M.
 
  • #4
shivajikobardan said:
J is dependent on A and so is M.
Yes we know that, but that's not enough, as it still leaves different possibilities. We need to know P(J | M&A) and P(M | J & A).
Consider the following two cases:

Case 1:
A & M =>J (If the alarm goes off and Mary calls then John always calls too)
P(J | M & A) = 1
So P(J & M | A) = P(J&M&A) / P(A) = P(J | M&A) P(M&A) /P(A) = P(M&A) / P(A) = P(M|A)P(A)/P(A) = P(M|A) = 0.7

Case 2:
A & ~M => J (If alarm goes off and Mary doesn't call then John does call)
P(J | A & ~M) = 1

So P(J & ~M & A) = P(J | A & ~M) P(A & ~M) = P(J | A & ~M) P(~M | A) P(A) = 1 x (1 - 0.7) P(A) = 0.3 P(A)
So P(J & M & A) = P(J & A) - P(J & ~M & A) = P(J | A) P(A) - 0.3P(A) = 0.95 P(A) - 0.3 P(A) = 0.65 P(A)
So P(J & M | A) = 0.65 P(A) / P(A) = 0.65.

So these different dependencies give us different results.

If they don't give you any information about those dependencies, I expect they intended - but forgot to say - that the events M | A and J | A are independent, so that P(J & M | A) = P(J | A) P(M | A) = 0.95 x 0.7 = 0.665. Note how that is between the values from the above two cases.
 

FAQ: What is the probability that there is a burglary given John and Mary calls?

What is the meaning of probability in this context?

Probability refers to the likelihood or chance of a specific event occurring. In this context, it refers to the likelihood of a burglary happening given that John and Mary have called.

How is the probability of a burglary being calculated?

The probability of a burglary can be calculated using a mathematical formula that takes into account the number of times a burglary has occurred in a given area, the number of calls made by John and Mary, and other relevant factors such as the time of day and location.

What factors can affect the probability of a burglary occurring?

Some factors that can affect the probability of a burglary include the location, time of day, security measures in place, and past history of burglaries in the area. The presence of John and Mary's calls may also be a factor.

Is probability a guarantee that a burglary will or will not happen?

No, probability is not a guarantee. It is an estimation based on available data and factors. There is always a chance that a burglary may occur even if the probability is low.

How can the probability of a burglary be used to prevent or address the situation?

The probability of a burglary can be used to inform and guide decisions on security measures, such as installing alarms or increasing police presence in the area. It can also help authorities prioritize and allocate resources for preventing and addressing burglaries.

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