Statistical independence
Definition
Events A and B are independent if P(A|B) = P(A), equivalently P(A and B) = P(A) x P(B). Knowing B occurred gives no information about whether A occurred.
Related terms
- Conditional probability
- The probability of event A given that event B has already occurred, written P(A|B). Conditional probability is the basis of the multiplication...
- Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium
- A condition in a population where genotype frequencies at a single locus conform to expectations derived from allele frequencies alone, assuming random...
- Linkage disequilibrium
- The non-random association of alleles at different loci within a population. Certain HLA allele combinations (e.g., HLA-A1 with HLA-B8 with HLA-DR3) occur...
- Multiplication rule
- For any two events: P(A and B) = P(A) x P(B|A). When A and B are independent, this simplifies to P(A) x...
- Positive dependence
- Events are positively dependent when the occurrence of one increases the probability of the other: P(A|B) > P(A). In this case P(A...
Explained in
- Conditional Probability and IndependenceEvents A and B are independent if P(A|B) = P(A), equivalently P(A and B) = P(A) x P(B). Knowing B occurred gives no information about whether A occurred.