Notes:Statistical test results
Contents
Notes
Let [ilmath]T:\eq(u,v)[/ilmath] be a statistical test, and [ilmath]P\eq 1[/ilmath] denote the thing being tested for being "true", then:
- [ilmath]\Pcond{T\eq 1}{P\eq 1}\eq u[/ilmath] and
- [ilmath]\Pcond{T\eq 0}{P\eq 0}\eq v[/ilmath]
Here we will investigate [ilmath]\P{T\eq 1} [/ilmath], [ilmath]\Pcond{P\eq 1}{T\eq 1} [/ilmath], [ilmath]\Pcond{P\eq 0}{T\eq 1} [/ilmath] and so forth
Observations
To find say [ilmath]\P{P\eq i} [/ilmath] you'd have to have [ilmath]\P{T\eq j} [/ilmath] for [ilmath]j\eq 0[/ilmath] and [ilmath]j\eq 1[/ilmath] already known - these both require some knowledge about the population
Findings
- [math]\P{T\eq j}\eq \P{P\eq 0}\Pcond{T\eq j}{P\eq 0}+ \P{P\eq 1}\Pcond{T\eq j}{P\eq 1} [/math]
- [math]\Pcond{P\eq i}{T\eq j}:\eq\frac{\P{P\eq i\cap T\eq j} }{\P{T\eq j} } [/math][math]\eq \frac{\Pcond{T\eq j}{P\eq i}\P{P\eq i} }{\P{T\eq j} } [/math]
- Which we develop:
- [math]\eq \frac{\Pcond{T\eq j}{P\eq i}\P{P\eq i} } { \P{P\eq 0}\Pcond{T\eq j}{P\eq 0} + \P{P\eq 1}\Pcond{T\eq j}{P\eq 1} } [/math] - notice the denominator only depends on [ilmath]j[/ilmath] - the value of [ilmath]T[/ilmath]
- Notice:
- We can find [ilmath]\Pcond{T\eq j}{P\eq i} [/ilmath] from the definition of [ilmath]T[/ilmath]
- [ilmath]\P{P\eq i} [/ilmath] must come from somewhere
- [ilmath]\P{T\eq j} [/ilmath] - we will find below
- Which we develop:
We make the following definitions:
- Let [ilmath]\P{P\eq 1}:\eq p[/ilmath]
Then:
- Results given the test evaluates to positive
- [math]\Pcond{P\eq 1}{T\eq 1}\eq\frac{pu}{(1-p)(1-v)+pu} [/math]
- Notice that next we could find [ilmath]\Pcond{P\eq 0}{T\eq 1} [/ilmath] as [ilmath]1-\Pcond{P\eq 1}{T\eq 1} [/ilmath]
- [math]\Pcond{P\eq 0}{T\eq 1}\eq\frac{(1-p)(1-v)}{(1-p)(1-v)+pu} [/math]
- [math]\Pcond{P\eq 1}{T\eq 1}\eq\frac{pu}{(1-p)(1-v)+pu} [/math]
- Results given the test evaluates to negative
- [math]\Pcond{P\eq 1}{T\eq 0}\eq\frac{p(1-u)}{(1-p)v+p(1-u)} [/math]
- Notice that next we could find [ilmath]\Pcond{P\eq 0}{T\eq 0} [/ilmath] as [ilmath]1-\Pcond{P\eq 1}{T\eq 0} [/ilmath]
- [math]\Pcond{P\eq 0}{T\eq 0}\eq\frac{(1-p)v}{(1-p)v+p(1-u)} [/math]
- [math]\Pcond{P\eq 1}{T\eq 0}\eq\frac{p(1-u)}{(1-p)v+p(1-u)} [/math]
The result [ilmath]\Pcond{P\eq 1}{T\eq 0} [/ilmath] is very important in diagnostic tests as this would be a subject that has the property but failed the test, usually the function of a (preliminary at least) test is to not miss any possible subjects - usually at the costs of more false positives - which are cases where the test was positive, but the property is absent.
Specifically:
- Notice that to have [ilmath]\Pcond{P\eq 1}{T\eq 0} \eq 0[/ilmath] - no chance of having the property if your test was negative - that we require [ilmath]p(1-u)\eq 0[/ilmath][Note 1]
- if [ilmath]p\eq 0[/ilmath] (i.e. [ilmath]\P{P\eq 1} \eq 0[/ilmath]) then this is a pointless test.
- Thus we observe we must have [ilmath]1-u\eq 0[/ilmath] or [ilmath]u\eq 1[/ilmath]
- this is to say in order to have a subject with the property failing the test being an impossibility we require the probability of the test being positive given the subject has the property is complete certainty
- Thus we observe we must have [ilmath]1-u\eq 0[/ilmath] or [ilmath]u\eq 1[/ilmath]
- if [ilmath]p\eq 0[/ilmath] (i.e. [ilmath]\P{P\eq 1} \eq 0[/ilmath]) then this is a pointless test.
Notes
- ↑ The reader should convince himself that a limit where the denominator tends to positive infinity cannot happen