How do you define sample space?

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My staff room is having a debate about the construction of sample spaces.




When you toss a coin twice, do you consider the sample space to be
$$H,H, H,T, T,T$$ or $$H,H, H,T, T,H,T,T$$




In my humble opinion, I feel there is no single correct answer at the moment because we do not have enough information. My feeling is that a sample space can only be established here if the order is relevant to the question at hand. In the absence of this information, either one could be the sample space.



However, I would like the community's thoughts on this. Is there in fact a single correct answer? Is there a mathematical reason for it being that answer?







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    up vote
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    My staff room is having a debate about the construction of sample spaces.




    When you toss a coin twice, do you consider the sample space to be
    $$H,H, H,T, T,T$$ or $$H,H, H,T, T,H,T,T$$




    In my humble opinion, I feel there is no single correct answer at the moment because we do not have enough information. My feeling is that a sample space can only be established here if the order is relevant to the question at hand. In the absence of this information, either one could be the sample space.



    However, I would like the community's thoughts on this. Is there in fact a single correct answer? Is there a mathematical reason for it being that answer?







    share|cite|improve this question





















      up vote
      1
      down vote

      favorite
      1









      up vote
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      down vote

      favorite
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      My staff room is having a debate about the construction of sample spaces.




      When you toss a coin twice, do you consider the sample space to be
      $$H,H, H,T, T,T$$ or $$H,H, H,T, T,H,T,T$$




      In my humble opinion, I feel there is no single correct answer at the moment because we do not have enough information. My feeling is that a sample space can only be established here if the order is relevant to the question at hand. In the absence of this information, either one could be the sample space.



      However, I would like the community's thoughts on this. Is there in fact a single correct answer? Is there a mathematical reason for it being that answer?







      share|cite|improve this question











      My staff room is having a debate about the construction of sample spaces.




      When you toss a coin twice, do you consider the sample space to be
      $$H,H, H,T, T,T$$ or $$H,H, H,T, T,H,T,T$$




      In my humble opinion, I feel there is no single correct answer at the moment because we do not have enough information. My feeling is that a sample space can only be established here if the order is relevant to the question at hand. In the absence of this information, either one could be the sample space.



      However, I would like the community's thoughts on this. Is there in fact a single correct answer? Is there a mathematical reason for it being that answer?









      share|cite|improve this question










      share|cite|improve this question




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      asked Aug 6 at 0:49









      Trogdor

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          2 Answers
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          It depends what the sample space is for.



          If you are tossing 2 coins and just counting the number of heads/tails that happened then your first sample space would be correct. I.e you don't care about the order that the events occurred.



          If you are tossing 2 coins and recording the 1st outcome and 2nd outcome separately then the second sample space would be correct. I.e. you do care about the order that the events occurred.



          Alternatively, you could only be recording whether a head was flipped at all with either coin in which case the sample space becomes (with your notation):




          0, H




          So to summarize, a sample space is defined as the set of all possible measured outcome. So it's contents depend upon what you are measuring.






          share|cite|improve this answer






























            up vote
            0
            down vote













            From my book:




            The set of all possible outcomes is the sample space corresponding to an
            experiment




            The key word is an experiment. That is the sample corresponds to events that are possible for pertaining to experiment. I.e an example




            The number of jobs in a print queue of the mainframe computer may be
            modeled as




            $$ Omega = 0 ,1, 2, ,3 cdots $$




            the set of all non-negative integers. However, in practice, there is
            likely upper limit $N$ on it.




            $$ Omega = 0 ,1, 2, ,3, cdots, N $$






            share|cite|improve this answer





















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              2 Answers
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              2 Answers
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              It depends what the sample space is for.



              If you are tossing 2 coins and just counting the number of heads/tails that happened then your first sample space would be correct. I.e you don't care about the order that the events occurred.



              If you are tossing 2 coins and recording the 1st outcome and 2nd outcome separately then the second sample space would be correct. I.e. you do care about the order that the events occurred.



              Alternatively, you could only be recording whether a head was flipped at all with either coin in which case the sample space becomes (with your notation):




              0, H




              So to summarize, a sample space is defined as the set of all possible measured outcome. So it's contents depend upon what you are measuring.






              share|cite|improve this answer



























                up vote
                1
                down vote













                It depends what the sample space is for.



                If you are tossing 2 coins and just counting the number of heads/tails that happened then your first sample space would be correct. I.e you don't care about the order that the events occurred.



                If you are tossing 2 coins and recording the 1st outcome and 2nd outcome separately then the second sample space would be correct. I.e. you do care about the order that the events occurred.



                Alternatively, you could only be recording whether a head was flipped at all with either coin in which case the sample space becomes (with your notation):




                0, H




                So to summarize, a sample space is defined as the set of all possible measured outcome. So it's contents depend upon what you are measuring.






                share|cite|improve this answer

























                  up vote
                  1
                  down vote










                  up vote
                  1
                  down vote









                  It depends what the sample space is for.



                  If you are tossing 2 coins and just counting the number of heads/tails that happened then your first sample space would be correct. I.e you don't care about the order that the events occurred.



                  If you are tossing 2 coins and recording the 1st outcome and 2nd outcome separately then the second sample space would be correct. I.e. you do care about the order that the events occurred.



                  Alternatively, you could only be recording whether a head was flipped at all with either coin in which case the sample space becomes (with your notation):




                  0, H




                  So to summarize, a sample space is defined as the set of all possible measured outcome. So it's contents depend upon what you are measuring.






                  share|cite|improve this answer















                  It depends what the sample space is for.



                  If you are tossing 2 coins and just counting the number of heads/tails that happened then your first sample space would be correct. I.e you don't care about the order that the events occurred.



                  If you are tossing 2 coins and recording the 1st outcome and 2nd outcome separately then the second sample space would be correct. I.e. you do care about the order that the events occurred.



                  Alternatively, you could only be recording whether a head was flipped at all with either coin in which case the sample space becomes (with your notation):




                  0, H




                  So to summarize, a sample space is defined as the set of all possible measured outcome. So it's contents depend upon what you are measuring.







                  share|cite|improve this answer















                  share|cite|improve this answer



                  share|cite|improve this answer








                  edited Aug 9 at 1:30


























                  answered Aug 6 at 0:57









                  Patrick

                  112




                  112




















                      up vote
                      0
                      down vote













                      From my book:




                      The set of all possible outcomes is the sample space corresponding to an
                      experiment




                      The key word is an experiment. That is the sample corresponds to events that are possible for pertaining to experiment. I.e an example




                      The number of jobs in a print queue of the mainframe computer may be
                      modeled as




                      $$ Omega = 0 ,1, 2, ,3 cdots $$




                      the set of all non-negative integers. However, in practice, there is
                      likely upper limit $N$ on it.




                      $$ Omega = 0 ,1, 2, ,3, cdots, N $$






                      share|cite|improve this answer

























                        up vote
                        0
                        down vote













                        From my book:




                        The set of all possible outcomes is the sample space corresponding to an
                        experiment




                        The key word is an experiment. That is the sample corresponds to events that are possible for pertaining to experiment. I.e an example




                        The number of jobs in a print queue of the mainframe computer may be
                        modeled as




                        $$ Omega = 0 ,1, 2, ,3 cdots $$




                        the set of all non-negative integers. However, in practice, there is
                        likely upper limit $N$ on it.




                        $$ Omega = 0 ,1, 2, ,3, cdots, N $$






                        share|cite|improve this answer























                          up vote
                          0
                          down vote










                          up vote
                          0
                          down vote









                          From my book:




                          The set of all possible outcomes is the sample space corresponding to an
                          experiment




                          The key word is an experiment. That is the sample corresponds to events that are possible for pertaining to experiment. I.e an example




                          The number of jobs in a print queue of the mainframe computer may be
                          modeled as




                          $$ Omega = 0 ,1, 2, ,3 cdots $$




                          the set of all non-negative integers. However, in practice, there is
                          likely upper limit $N$ on it.




                          $$ Omega = 0 ,1, 2, ,3, cdots, N $$






                          share|cite|improve this answer













                          From my book:




                          The set of all possible outcomes is the sample space corresponding to an
                          experiment




                          The key word is an experiment. That is the sample corresponds to events that are possible for pertaining to experiment. I.e an example




                          The number of jobs in a print queue of the mainframe computer may be
                          modeled as




                          $$ Omega = 0 ,1, 2, ,3 cdots $$




                          the set of all non-negative integers. However, in practice, there is
                          likely upper limit $N$ on it.




                          $$ Omega = 0 ,1, 2, ,3, cdots, N $$







                          share|cite|improve this answer













                          share|cite|improve this answer



                          share|cite|improve this answer











                          answered Aug 6 at 1:31









                          RHowe

                          1,017815




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