Scala and Spark for Big Data Analytics

An overview of Bayes' theorem

In probability theory, Bayes' theorem describes the probability of an event based on a prior knowledge of conditions that is related to that certain event. This is a theorem of probability originally stated by the Reverend Thomas Bayes. In other words, it can be seen as a way of understanding how the probability theory is true and affected by a new piece of information. For example, if cancer is related to age, the information about age can be used to assess the probability that a person might have cancer more accurately.

Bayes' theorem is stated mathematically as the following equation:

In the preceding equation, ...