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Question 529: Zero Evidence Mass Makes This Conditional Probability Undefined

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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P1000-0529 · q-20261014-advance-20261102-r06-bayes-theorem-0079

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=[]. 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]. This dedicated boundary requires evidence mass exactly zero. Give (evidence_mass,conditional_value,defined?,conditional_probability_requires_positive_denominator).

  • 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=[]. 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]. This dedicated boundary requires evidence mass exactly zero. Give (evidence_mass,conditional_value,defined?,conditional_probability_requires_positive_denominator).

Definition and scope

Conditional probability needs a positive denominator. With P(E)=0 it is undefined: no division, and not the value 0.

Step-by-step derivation

S001 · calculation

Before

P(Ω) := sum(1/11, 1/11, 1/11, 8/11)

After

P(Ω) = 1

Conditions: none

First sum the complete atom masses to1.

Step identifiers and dependencies

Rule: exact_rational_arithmetic · Uses: G001

S002 · calculation

Before

P(E) := sum()

After

P(E) = 0

Conditions: none

Sum only the atoms in the conditioning event E.

Step identifiers and dependencies

Rule: exact_rational_arithmetic · Uses: G001, S001

S003 · implies

Before

P(E)=0

After

P(H|E)=P(H∩E)/P(E) is not defined here

Conditions: none

The conditional-probability definition requires a positive denominator, so no division is performed.

Step identifiers and dependencies

Rule: zero_denominator_guard · Uses: G001, S002

S004 · implies

Before

zero conditioning mass

After

undefined is not zero, not infinity, and not an empty event

Conditions: none

Even when the joint mass is zero,0/0 cannot be assigned the value0.

Step identifiers and dependencies

Rule: undefined_not_value · Uses: G001, S003

S005 · implies

Before

positive-denominator requirement fails

After

defined=false; value=undefined

Conditions: none

Retain this contract's undefined marker without altering the probability law.

Step identifiers and dependencies

Rule: contract_boundary · Uses: G001, S004

Reverse checks

  • S005 · premise_and_result_audit — Align events, intersections and conditioning denominators under the same law; do not divide by zero mass.
  • S004 · premise_and_result_audit — Align events, intersections and conditioning denominators under the same law; do not divide by zero mass.
  • S003 · premise_and_result_audit — Align events, intersections and conditioning denominators under the same law; do not divide by zero mass.
  • S002 · premise_and_result_audit — Recompute P(E) with exact rational arithmetic, not rounded decimals.
  • S001 · premise_and_result_audit — Recompute P(Ω) with exact rational arithmetic, not rounded decimals.

Result

(0, undefined, No, conditional_probability_requires_positive_denominator)

The full substitutions and premise audits recover the original answer, retaining its field order and verdict meanings.

This question review and source binding

Review date: 2026-10-26

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: b905177902f7e5d49e6fbc415a1719202b68ddf945b01e482a5c4a2e792bac5c
  • candidate record SHA-256: 6b77aece9aeedefa7f455f5fa65831c8dd0553a2662b549e88448059593d4830
  • semantic review receipt SHA-256: 6c2c6d46aded7582a11ac41a8c0b3bdde2669a53bdb6e796eea2039994a02772
  • question-first witness SHA-256: 77e43898df9efdbf8094ad81fe4ab91cf4b4bd82f481eb9b4699b73cb4da612b
  • Lean: NOT_RUN · human review: NOT_PERFORMED
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