Bayes' postulate
- noun
- /ˈbeɪzɪz ˈpɒstjʊlɪt/
- Specialized
:
postulado de Bayes
- When the prior probabilities are unknown, Bayes' postulate assumes all causes are equally likely.
Examples
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According to Bayes' postulate, all causes are equally likely initially.
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The scientist applied Bayes' postulate when lacking specific prior information about the probabilities.
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In many statistical models, Bayes' postulate is invoked to allow for further analysis despite ignorance.
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Many statisticians rely on Bayes' postulate in their analyses.
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When the prior probabilities are unknown, Bayes' postulate assumes all causes are equally likely.
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The scientist applied Bayes' postulate when lacking specific prior information about the probabilities.
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In many statistical models, Bayes' postulate is invoked to allow for further analysis despite ignorance.
Surface Forms
Morphology
Bayes' + postulate
The noun 'postulate' transparently signals an assumption or proposition, and the possessive proper name 'Bayes'' indicates the assumption is associated with Bayes/Bayesian reasoning, so learners can infer it is a Bayes-related assumption. However, the precise content (e.g. equal prior probabilities when no information is available) is technical and requires domain knowledge or recognition of the name 'Bayes', so a B1 learner who only knows the constituent words would not reliably derive the full meaning.
Etymology
Bayes' postulate is named after the thinker Thomas Bayes. It paints a simple image: if you have no information, imagine putting the same number of stones for each possible cause into a hat and drawing one. That's why Bayes' postulate means 'assume all causes are equally likely'.
