This document discusses the two types of errors that can occur in hypothesis testing:
Type I errors occur when the null hypothesis is true but is rejected. This is known as a false positive. The rate of Type I errors is called the size of the test and is denoted by alpha.
Type II errors occur when the null hypothesis is false but fails to be rejected. This is known as a false negative. The rate of Type II errors is denoted by beta and is related to the power of a test.
Reducing one type of error increases the other - reducing Type I errors increases Type II errors, and vice versa. Both types of errors cannot be reduced simultaneously.