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Six Sigma
Finite Additivity
Introduction: Probabilistic model is the mathematical structure of any phenomenon whose input or output both are uncertain in nature they depend over some particular criteria or region.
Finite Additivity:
- Finite additivity is strictly weaker than the countable additivity property of probability measures. In particular, finite additivity on a field, or even for the special case of a σ-field, does not, in general, imply countable additivity.
- The reason for introducing the stronger countable additivity property is that with out it, we are severely limited in the types of probability calculations that are possible. On the other hand, finite additivity is often easier to verify.
Continuity of probabilities:
- Consider a probability space in which Ω = R. The sequence of events An = [1, n] converges to the event A = [1,∞), and it is reasonable to expect that the probability of [1, n] converges to the probability of [1,∞).
- Such a property is established in greater generality in the result that follows. This result provides us with a few alternative versions of such a continuity property, together with a converse which states that finite additivity together with continuity implies countable additivity.
- This last result is a useful tool that often simplifies the verification of the countable additivity property.