noun
probability theory
Academic term for the branch of mathematics dealing with probability.
確率論は統計学の基礎となる分野だ。
Probability theory is a field that forms the basis of statistics.
統計学 (statistics) applies probability theory to analyze data, while 確率論 is the pure mathematical study of random phenomena.
Compound of 確率 (probability) + 論 (theory, discourse). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term follows the pattern of academic field names ending in 論.