Impossible Event
In probability theory, one says that an event happens almost surely (sometimes abbreviated as a.s.) if it happens with probability one. The concept is analogous to the concept of "almost everywhere" in measure theory. While there is no difference between almost surely and surely (that is, entirely certain to happen) in many basic probability experiments, the distinction is important in more complex cases relating to some sort of infinity. For instance, the term is often encountered in questions that involve infinite time, regularity properties or infinite-dimensional spaces such as function spaces. Basic examples of use include the law of large numbers (strong form) or continuity of Brownian paths.
Almost never describes the opposite of almost surely; an event which happens with probability zero happens almost never.
Read more about Impossible Event: Formal Definition, "Almost Sure" Versus "sure", Asymptotically Almost Surely
Famous quotes containing the words impossible and/or event:
“Voyagers discover that the world can never be larger than the person that is in the world; but it is impossible to foresee this, it is impossible to be warned.”
—James Baldwin (19241987)
“A miracle, my friend, is an event which creates faith. That is the purpose and nature of miracles. They may seem very wonderful to the people who witness them, and very simple to those who perform them. That does not matter: if they confirm or create faith they are true miracles.”
—George Bernard Shaw (18561950)