Analyzing the Setup
Welcome, future engineers! Today, we are diving into the heart of probability. We have three events, A, B, and C, and we are told they are mutually independent.
When we say events are mutually independent, we are saying that the occurrence of one event tells us absolutely nothing about the occurrence of the others. It is the ultimate state of "non-interference."
The Master Keys
Before we touch the statements, let us lay out our tools. Mutual independence gives us four golden equations:
These are the keys to the kingdom. If you ever feel lost in a probability problem, return to these definitions.
Decoding Statement S1
Statement S1 asks if A is independent of B∪C. To prove this, we must show that P(A∩(B∪C))=P(A)⋅P(B∪C).
Using the distributive law of sets, we can rewrite A∩(B∪C) as (A∩B)∪(A∩C). Now, we apply the addition rule for probability:
P((A∩B)∪(A∩C))=P(A∩B)+P(A∩C)−P((A∩B)∩(A∩C))
Notice that the intersection of (A∩B) and (A∩C) is simply A∩B∩C. Substituting our independence keys, the expression becomes:
P(A)P(B)+P(A)P(C)−P(A)P(B)P(C)
Factoring out P(A), we get P(A)[P(B)+P(C)−P(B)P(C)]. Since B and C are independent, P(B)P(C)=P(B∩C).
Thus, the bracket is P(B)+P(C)−P(B∩C), which is exactly P(B∪C). We have proven P(A∩(B∪C))=P(A)P(B∪C), so S1 is true.
Decoding Statement S2
Now for S2: is A independent of B∩C? We need to show P(A∩(B∩C))=P(A)⋅P(B∩C).
The left-hand side is P(A∩B∩C). By the definition of mutual independence, this is P(A)P(B)P(C).
We can group this as P(A)⋅[P(B)P(C)]. Since B and C are independent, P(B)P(C)=P(B∩C).
Therefore, P(A∩B∩C)=P(A)⋅P(B∩C). S2 is also true.
The Golden Rule
We have arrived at the conclusion: both statements are true. This is a general, beautiful rule in probability: if a set of events is mutually independent, any event is independent of any combination of the others.
Whether you use unions, intersections, or complements, the independence holds. Keep this in your toolkit, and you will conquer any probability problem the JEE throws at you.