Results presentation: query definition

This page allows you to define your own query to perform probability analysis from your results.

Accessing this page

This page is accessed from the results selection page by selecting "probability analysis".

Description

This page allows you to formulate a query to obtain an estimate of the probability that a particular scenario is true, given the present calibration results. The sorts of queries you can formulate are:

what is the probability that one event is earlier than another event?
what is the probability that an event took place in a certain year?
what is the probability that an event took place within the time span of a particular group?
what is the probability that the time span of a one group is later than the time span of another group?
what is the probability that the time span of one group overlaps the time span of another group?

This list is by no means exhaustive. The query facility is very flexible and allows a wide range of different situations to be defined. Each query consists of three elements: two operands and an operator. An operand can be either:

a constant year representing a specific calendar year (in cal BP or BC/AD depending on your calendar setting within the configuration page),
a single event represented by a parameter from your calibration definition, or
a time period defined by specifying the start and end of such period. The start and end are represented by parameters within your calibration definition. The time span of a group can be represented simply by using its early and late boundary parameters, as the start and end parameters respectively.

An operator represents the relationship that is to be tested between the two operands. It can be one of:

is earlier than. This requests calculation of the probability that the first operand is earlier than the second operand.
is later than. This requests calculation of the probability that the first operand is later than the second operand.
is equal to. This requests calculation of the probability that the first operand is exactly equal to to the second. Note that if the two operands are time periods, the start of both time periods must be equal and the end of both time periods must be equal, i.e. they are contemporary.
is contained in. This requests calculation of the probability that the first operand is contained within (the time spanned by) the second operand. Note that the second operand must be a time period.
contains. This requests calculation of the probability that (the time spanned by) the first operand contains the second operand. Note that the first operand must be a time period.
overlaps and is earlier than. This requests calculation of the probability that (the time spanned by) the first operand overlaps and is earlier than (the time spanned by) the second operand. More formally, the start of (the time spanned by) the first operand must be earlier than the start of (the time spanned by) the second operand. Also the end of (the time spanned by) the first operand must be both later than the start of (the time spanned by) the second operand and earlier than the end of (the time spanned by) the second operand. Note that both operands must be time periods.
overlaps and is later than. This requests calculation of the probability that (the time spanned by) the first operand overlaps and is later than (the time spanned by) the second operand. More formally, the end of (the time spanned by) the first operand must be later than the end of (the time spanned by) the second operand. Also the start of (the time spanned by) the first operand must be both later than the start of (the time spanned by) the second operand and earlier than the end of (the time spanned by) the second operand. Note that both operands must be time periods.

Once the operands and operator have been set, you should select the "Submit" button to calculate the probability for the query.

Examples

Suppose you require an estimate of the probability that one event (represented by "theta 2" is earlier than another event (represented by "theta 8"). To define this as a query, you should represent the first operand as a single event set to "theta 2". The second operand should also be represented as a single event, but set to "theta 8". The operator should be set to "is earlier than".
Assume that you would like to calculate an estimate of the probability that a particular event (represented by "theta 5") is contained within the time spanned by a group (represented by "Layer IV"). To define define this as a query, you should represent the first operand as a single event set to "theta 5". You should then represent the second operand as a time period. The start of the time period should be set to the early boundary parameter of "Layer IV" and the end of the time period should be set to the late boundary parameter of "Layer IV". The operator should be set to "is contained in".