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A specific assumption on the properties of a probability distribution that underlies observable random phenomena. The results of observations are usually represented as the realization of a number of random variables, whether finite or infinite. The joint distribution of these random variables is thus not completely known, and it is assumed in a statistical hypothesis that it belongs to a certain specific class of distributions. The problem of statistical hypotheses testing (cf. [[Statistical hypotheses, verification of|Statistical hypotheses, verification of]]) arises in this type of situation.