Enkeltforsøk

Enkeltforsøk, often translated as "simple experiment" or "single trial," is a fundamental concept in probability and statistics. It refers to a single, repeatable process that has a well-defined set of possible outcomes, and where the result of each occurrence is independent of any previous or subsequent occurrences.

The core idea behind an enkeltforsøk is its inherent uncertainty. While the potential outcomes are known, which specific outcome will materialize in any given trial cannot be predicted with certainty. Examples of enkeltforsøk include flipping a coin, rolling a die, or drawing a card from a shuffled deck. In each case, there are distinct possible results (heads or tails, a number from 1 to 6, a specific card), and the outcome of one trial does not influence the outcome of another.

The analysis of enkeltforsøk often involves assigning probabilities to each possible outcome. These probabilities represent the likelihood of a particular outcome occurring. For a fair coin flip, the probability of heads is 0.5 and the probability of tails is 0.5. For a fair six-sided die, the probability of rolling any specific number from 1 to 6 is 1/6.

Understanding enkeltforsøk is crucial for building more complex probabilistic models and for performing statistical analysis. It forms the basis for understanding concepts like random variables, probability distributions, and statistical inference. The simplicity of the single trial allows for clear definition of outcomes and probabilities, making it an accessible entry point into the study of randomness and uncertainty.