Need help with a very short math problem.

JoeysPizzaPalace

New member
Joined
Sep 5, 2019
Messages
8
Hello,
I was wondering something. If a person has the following 3 traits:

Trait "A" that happens to only 10% of the population
Trait "B" that happens to only 2% of the population
Trait "C" that happens to only 1% of the population

Combined what percentage of the population would this person be in? For example, maybe the answer is that that combined this person would be in the top 1/4 of one percent of the world population? Plus, if that were true, would that mean the world population times that number to figure out how many people are like that person globally?

Thank you for your help,

Joey
 
Hello,
I was wondering something. If a person has the following 3 traits:

Trait "A" that happens to only 10% of the population
Trait "B" that happens to only 2% of the population
Trait "C" that happens to only 1% of the population

Combined what percentage of the population would this person be in? For example, maybe the answer is that that combined this person would be in the top 1/4 of one percent of the world population? Plus, if that were true, would that mean the world population times that number to figure out how many people are like that person globally?

Thank you for your help,

Joey
We cannot solve the problem "strictly" using only mathematics and the given set of information.

For example,

what % of population is inflicted with trait "A" and "B" (like "left handed and INTJ)?

Like I told you before, I think you need help from Bob Newhart!
 
If a person has the following 3 traits:

Trait "A" that happens to only 10% of the population
Trait "B" that happens to only 2% of the population
Trait "C" that happens to only 1% of the population

Combined what percentage of the population would this person be in? For example, maybe the answer is that that combined this person would be in the top 1/4 of one percent of the world population? Plus, if that were true, would that mean the world population times that number to figure out how many people are like that person globally?
This can only be answered if you know either that the traits are independent, or what their joint probability distribution is.

Also, it is meaningless to talk about "the top 1/4 of one percent", unless each trait is unambiguously "good".

Finally, everyone is unique -- if you listed every trait you have, you would find that only you have all those traits, so you are extremely "rare". Asking about the probability of having some particular combination of traits is ultimately meaningless.

But, to answer directly, if the traits are independent, the probability that they will occur together will be 0.10*0.02*0.01 = 0.00002 = 0.002%. And, yes (if the probabilities you list apply uniformly across the globe), the total number of people expected to have all three traits would be that percentage of the world population, or something like 0.00002*7,500,000,000 = 150,000 people.
 
This can only be answered if you know either that the traits are independent, or what their joint probability distribution is.

Also, it is meaningless to talk about "the top 1/4 of one percent", unless each trait is unambiguously "good".

Finally, everyone is unique -- if you listed every trait you have, you would find that only you have all those traits, so you are extremely "rare". Asking about the probability of having some particular combination of traits is ultimately meaningless.

But, to answer directly, if the traits are independent, the probability that they will occur together will be 0.10*0.02*0.01 = 0.00002 = 0.002%. And, yes (if the probabilities you list apply uniformly across the globe), the total number of people expected to have all three traits would be that percentage of the world population, or something like 0.00002*7,500,000,000 = 150,000 people.

Thank you for being the one person who was able to give an intelligent reply without making a "joke". The answer you gave was exactly what I was looking for.

Take Care,

Joey
 
We cannot solve the problem "strictly" using only mathematics and the given set of information.

For example,

what % of population is inflicted with trait "A" and "B" (like "left handed and INTJ)?

Like I told you before, I think you need help from Bob Newhart!
I already told you what percentage of the population above for each one. It is up to you to figure out how many would have A & B, A & C or B & C and come up with the final answer. I liked Dr. Peterson answer. It was the answer I wanted so I'm happy with it.
 
I already told you what percentage of the population above for each one. It is up to you to figure out how many would have A & B, A & C or B & C and come up with the final answer. I liked Dr. Peterson answer. It was the answer I wanted so I'm happy with it.
I am glad that you "got" the answer you were looking for without showing any effort to solve it from your part.

By the way, that was "your problem" - so it was not upto me to define the domain of the problem.
 
Top