[Math] Finitely Additive and Countably Additive Property of Probability Function, $\mathbb{P}$.

probability theory

In Grimmett and Stirzaker's Probability and Random Processes (section 1.3), for two disjoint events $A$ and $B$, we have that

$\mathbb{P} (A \cup B) = \mathbb{P}(A) + \mathbb{P}(B)$

From this statement, the authors 'jump' and state that $\mathbb{P}$ should be finitely additive, and further along in the text, they 'jump' again and state that $\mathbb{P}$ should be countably additive.

My questions:

  1. Why is $\mathbb{P}$ only finitely additive? Isn't it possible to keep adding disjoint events ad infinitum : $\mathbb{P} (A_1 \cup A_2 \cup \ldots) = \mathbb{P}(A_1) + \mathbb{P}(A_2) + \ldots$
  2. What is the difference between finitely additive and countably additive? I know that finitely additive just means I have a fixed number of events I need to add up but I am not sure of what countably additive means.

I have browsed the (many) other posts around this topic but they start discussing measure theory which I haven't studied yet in my course (I'm at undergrad level).

Best Answer

If $P(A \cup B) = P(A) + P(B)$ whenever $A,B$ are disjoints sets, then

for $A_1 \ldots A_n$ disjoints sets, one can consider $P(A_1 \cup A_2 \cup \ldots \cup A_n) = P(A_1 \cup B) $ where $B = A_2 \cup \ldots \cup A_n$ is disjoint from $A$.

From the first property: $P(A_1 \cup B) = P(A_1) + P(B)$

Proceed in the same manner $n$ times (or apply induction) to obtain that $P(A_1 \cup A_2 \cup \ldots \cup A_n) = P(A_1) + P( A_2 ) + \ldots P (A_n)$

And that is finite aditivity.

Finite additivity does not imply countable aditivity. For instance consider on $(\mathbb{N} , \mathcal{P}(\mathbb{N})\,)$ be such that $$P(A) = \begin{cases}0 & \text{ if } A^c \text{ is finite}\\ 1 & \text{ otherwise }\end{cases}$$

P is finite aditive but is not countably aditive

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