Question

Difficulty: EasyLaw of Large Numbers

Match each scenario or concept related to the Law of Large Numbers with its correct statistical or actuarial outcome.

  • Increasing the number of similar homes in a property insurance poolImproves the insurer's ability to accurately predict total aggregate losses for the group
  • Attempting to predict if a specific, individual homeowner will suffer a fire lossRemains entirely impossible and uncertain, regardless of how large the group becomes
  • Combining personal auto risks and commercial aviation risks into the exact same calculation poolViolates the requirement that risks must be homogeneous exposure units
  • The primary actuarial benefit of applying the Law of Large NumbersAllows the insurer to charge stable, adequate premiums based on highly predictable group outcomes

Answer

Increasing the pool size matches with improving aggregate predictions. Individual prediction matches with remaining impossible. Combining different risks matches with violating homogeneous units. The primary benefit matches with allowing stable premium pricing.
The correct matches directly align the theoretical rules of the Law of Large Numbers with their practical underwriting outcomes. A larger pool of similar risks increases aggregate predictability, which enables stable pricing. However, the exposure units must be homogeneous, and the statistical law never provides predictive power for a single individual's future.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the core mathematical rule of the Law of Large Numbers regarding pool size.
Increasing the number of similar homes improves aggregate loss predictability.
This establishes the fundamental relationship between volume and statistical accuracy.
2
Evaluate the rule regarding individual versus group predictability.
Predicting a specific homeowner's loss remains impossible.
The law applies strictly to total group outcomes, not single individual events.
3
Assess the requirement for similarity among insured items.
Mixing autos and aviation violates the homogeneous exposure units rule.
Statistical principles in insurance only hold true if the grouped risks face similar perils and have similar characteristics.
4
Identify the ultimate business purpose of this law for insurers.
It allows for charging stable and adequate premiums.
Predictable aggregate losses directly translate to accurate and reliable rate-making.

Key Concept

The Law of Large Numbers improves overall group predictability when using homogeneous units, but it cannot predict individual losses.
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