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If we wish to calculate the joint probability of a number of events happening, it is possible to break the calculation up into a series of simpler calculations. Formally,
 
 

P(A,B,C,D,E)=P(E|A,B,C,D).P(D|A,B,C).P(C|A,B).P(B|A).P(A).
 
 

This result follows naturally from the result that

P(The events A and B both happening) =P(The first event, A, happening). P(The second event, B, happening, given that the first event, A, has just happened).