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Question 104: Prior and Likelihood Must Both Enter a Bayes Reversal

On this page
  1. Original question and givens
  2. Definition and scope
  3. Step-by-step derivation
  4. Reverse checks
  5. Result
  6. This question review and source binding

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P250-0104 · q-20261014-advance-20261102-r06-bayes-theorem-0004

Original question and givens

Use the same complete finite atomic probability law with aligned nonnegative exact masses=[1/11, 1/11, 1/11, 8/11], summing to 1, and canonical event evidence=[0, 2]. Event entries are increasing distinct outcome indices from 0 through 3. Every actual conditional probability requires a strictly positive denominator; a dedicated zero-denominator audit records undefined instead of dividing. Priors, likelihoods, intersections and evidence mass all come from this one law. Keep reduced exact fractions with positive denominators, omitting /1 for integers. Bayes conditioning does not imply causation. Hypothesis=[0, 1] must have positive prior, and evidence must have positive mass. Give (prior,likelihood,evidence_mass,joint,posterior,not_causal).

  • G001 — Use the same complete finite atomic probability law with aligned nonnegative exact masses=[1/11, 1/11, 1/11, 8/11], summing to 1, and canonical event evidence=[0, 2]. Event entries are increasing distinct outcome indices from 0 through 3. Every actual conditional probability requires a strictly positive denominator; a dedicated zero-denominator audit records undefined instead of dividing. Priors, likelihoods, intersections and evidence mass all come from this one law. Keep reduced exact fractions with positive denominators, omitting /1 for integers. Bayes conditioning does not imply causation. Hypothesis=[0, 1] must have positive prior, and evidence must have positive mass. Give (prior,likelihood,evidence_mass,joint,posterior,not_causal).

Definition and scope

Use one complete finite probability law; both conditioning events have strictly positive mass.

Step-by-step derivation

S001 · calculation

Before

P(Ω) := sum(1/11, 1/11, 1/11, 8/11)

After

P(Ω) = 1

Conditions: none

Sum all atom masses first to verify normalization.

Step identifiers and dependencies

Rule: exact_rational_arithmetic · Uses: G001

S002 · implies

Before

H=[0, 1]; E=[0, 2]

After

H∩E=[0]

Conditions: none

Only sample points in both events contribute to their joint probability.

Step identifiers and dependencies

Rule: event_intersection · Uses: G001, S001

S003 · calculation

Before

P(H) := sum(1/11, 1/11)

After

P(H) = 2/11

Conditions: none

Add the masses of the points in H.

Step identifiers and dependencies

Rule: exact_rational_arithmetic · Uses: G001, S002

S004 · calculation

Before

P(E) := sum(1/11, 1/11)

After

P(E) = 2/11

Conditions: none

Add the masses in E; this is the posterior's conditioning denominator.

Step identifiers and dependencies

Rule: exact_rational_arithmetic · Uses: G001, S003

S005 · calculation

Before

P(H∩E) := sum(1/11)

After

P(H∩E) = 1/11

Conditions: none

Sum the intersection once, without double-counting.

Step identifiers and dependencies

Rule: exact_rational_arithmetic · Uses: G001, S004

S006 · calculation

Before

P(E|H) := div(1/11, 2/11)

After

P(E|H) = 1/2

Conditions: none

Since P(H)=2/11>0, divide the joint probability by P(H).

Step identifiers and dependencies

Rule: exact_rational_arithmetic · Uses: G001, S005

S007 · calculation

Before

P(E|H)·P(H) := mul(1/2, 2/11)

After

P(E|H)·P(H) = 1/11

Conditions: none

Multiply the conditional probability by the conditioning event's probability to recover the joint.

Step identifiers and dependencies

Rule: exact_rational_arithmetic · Uses: G001, S006

S008 · calculation

Before

P(H|E) := div(1/11, 2/11)

After

P(H|E) = 1/2

Conditions: none

When reversing the condition, the denominator is P(E)=2/11>0.

Step identifiers and dependencies

Rule: exact_rational_arithmetic · Uses: G001, S007

S009 · implies

Before

P(H|E)=1/2; P(H∩E)=P(E|H)P(H)

After

P(H|E)=P(E|H)P(H)/P(E)=1/2

Conditions: P(E)>0; P(H)>0

Substitute the established joint-product identity into the posterior definition to obtain Bayes' formula for this instance.

Step identifiers and dependencies

Rule: bayes_substitution · Uses: G001, S008

S010 · calculation

Before

P(H|E)·P(E) := mul(1/2, 2/11)

After

P(H|E)·P(E) = 1/11

Conditions: none

Multiply back by P(E) to recover the same joint probability.

Step identifiers and dependencies

Rule: exact_rational_arithmetic · Uses: G001, S009

S011 · implies

Before

probability identity

After

no causal direction has been established

Conditions: none

This is a conditional-probability identity in one law, not evidence of a causal direction.

Step identifiers and dependencies

Rule: probability_not_causality · Uses: G001, S010

Reverse checks

  • S011 · premise_and_result_audit — With zero conditioning mass the quotient is undefined, not a numerical 0/0 answer.
  • S010 · premise_and_result_audit — Recompute P(H|E)·P(E) with exact rational arithmetic, not rounded decimals.
  • S009 · premise_and_result_audit — Reversing a conditional does not mean swapping labels while keeping the old denominator.
  • S008 · premise_and_result_audit — Recompute P(H|E) with exact rational arithmetic, not rounded decimals.
  • S007 · premise_and_result_audit — Recompute P(E|H)·P(H) with exact rational arithmetic, not rounded decimals.
  • S006 · premise_and_result_audit — Recompute P(E|H) with exact rational arithmetic, not rounded decimals.
  • S005 · premise_and_result_audit — Recompute P(H∩E) with exact rational arithmetic, not rounded decimals.
  • S004 · premise_and_result_audit — Recompute P(E) with exact rational arithmetic, not rounded decimals.
  • S003 · premise_and_result_audit — Recompute P(H) with exact rational arithmetic, not rounded decimals.
  • S002 · premise_and_result_audit — Do not multiply the event probabilities: independence has not been assumed.
  • S001 · premise_and_result_audit — Recompute P(Ω) with exact rational arithmetic, not rounded decimals.

Result

(2/11, 1/2, 2/11, 1/11, 1/2, not_causal)

P(H|E)=1/2; the complete answer also retains the prior, likelihood, evidence and joint.

This question review and source binding

Review date: 2026-10-24

Original questions, answers, step expressions, numeric ASTs and historical records are retained. Source candidate labels remain historical and are not overwritten as formal proof.

Source hashes and review receipts
  • input commit: 0f7be61e2c22317a4075561dc822c87d881a50db
  • original question SHA-256: 068161c91fe95dd87c921552d57b252db3d3c5d369fc6e2009b3fa7432624710
  • candidate record SHA-256: 818c101f84dc4d13ce84909ea449e8417addf2377d5e59d5e6692f0d337fdf9e
  • semantic review receipt SHA-256: 4727d1bd957a9b7f6cadb7972ddb5ab80a31f5259dc5394c1dff2b71944ed36b
  • question-first witness SHA-256: 51e18649133238ac992229f6e16542a5f3af53ca73b2262ab0524508ea937dee
  • Lean: NOT_RUN · human review: NOT_PERFORMED
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