Question

Information is defined as reduction of uncertainty. Which of the following does not affect the amount of information?

1) Increasing the sample size
2) Increasing the number of possible outcomes
3) Increasing the probability of an event
4) Increasing the level of detail

Answer 1

Increasing the probability of an event does not directly affect the amount of information, as information is tied to the unpredictability of outcomes, not the certainty of a single event.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question relates to how various factors affect the amount of information in terms of its ability to reduce uncertainty. The factors listed are increasing the sample size, increasing the number of possible outcomes, increasing the probability of an event, and increasing the level of detail. Of these options, increasing the probability of an event does not directly affect the amount of information because information is more related to the variability or distribution of outcomes than to the likelihood of any single event. Information, in a mathematical or informational sense, often relates to the concept of entropy, which measures the unpredictability or randomness of a system. More outcomes or more detail generally lead to an increase in entropy, whereas an increase in the certainty of an event's occurrence does not change the entropy, hence it does not change the information content.