The Prior

In probability and statistics, a "prior" is an initial belief or estimate about a situation before looking at new data. For example, if you think a coin is fair, you start with the prior belief that it has an equal chance of landing heads or tails. When you collect new information, such as flipping the coin multiple times, you update this belief accordingly. The prior helps guide your understanding and analysis, serving as the starting point for making informed inferences about the unknown or uncertain.