law of large numbers

noun

, Mathematics.

1. the theorem in probability theory that the number of successes increases as the number of experiments increases and approximates the probability times the number of experiments for a large number of experiments.

law of large numbers

noun

1. the fundamental statistical result that the average of a sequence of n identically distributed independent random variables tends to their common mean as n tends to infinity, whence the frequency of the occurrence of an event in n independent repetitions of an experiment tends to its probability

law of large numbers

1. The rule or theorem that the average of a large number of independent measurements of a random quantity tends toward the theoretical average of that quantity.
2. Also called Bernoulli's law

Word History and Origins

Origin of law of large numbers¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

For years, pundits have been predicting that tech giants would eventually run up against the so-called “law of large numbers.”

From Seattle Times

“The elite in that group really are elite. It’s a law of large numbers.”

From Seattle Times

Opinion polling depends on a simple statistical principle: the law of large numbers.

From Salon

“It’s partly the law of large numbers,” Henry said.

From Washington Times

At almost 16 years old, Facebook has matured into a large organization that is increasingly grappling with the law of large numbers and decelerating growth rates.

From Seattle Times