Marginal probability

As marginal frequencies , marginal frequencies or marginal frequencies is called the marginal sums of the frequencies of a contingency that can be read on the edge of the panel. A contingency table contains frequencies for combinations of characteristics. The frequencies at the edge of a contingency table with relative frequencies are called relative edge frequencies, those at the edge of a contingency table with absolute frequencies are called absolute edge frequencies.

The marginal probability (also less often the marginal probability ) is the reading of the probability that is on the edge of a contingency table that contains relative frequencies. More precisely, the marginal probability is estimated via the relative marginal frequency at the edge of the table, or it is equated with it (see more precisely Relative Frequency ).

All marginal frequencies of a contingency table, whether relative or absolute marginal frequencies, together form the so-called marginal distribution .

example

For example, the probability of being male in this sample can be read from the marginal probability, which is found as the relative frequency at the edge of the contingency table below. The probability of being male in this sample is 0.35 here. The probability of being in grade 10 in this sample is 0.5.

	man	woman	Marginal probability
grade 10	0.25	0.25	0.50
11th grade	0.10	0.40	0.50
Marginal probability	0.35	0.65	1.00