When to use semicolon and comma in a list of clauses?

Case 1

The probability that event A equals to 1, B equals to 2, and C equals to 3 is X.

and

The probability that event A equals to 1; B equals to 2, and C equals to 3 is X.

which is correct?

My concern here is according to "https://data.grammarbook.com/blog/commas/how-to-punctuate-between-sentences-using-commas-semicolons-and-colons/", it states that

"Rule: Use the semicolon if you have two independent clauses connected without a conjunction"

I am not sure if this rule applies to 3 clauses, and if it does apply,

The probability that event A equals to 1; B equals to 2, and C equals to 3 is X.

looks very weird to me.

Case 2

The probability that (1) event A equals to 1, (2) B equals to 2, and (3) C equals to 3 is X.

and

The probability that (1) event A equals to 1; (2) B equals to 2, and (3) C equals to 3 is X.

which is correct?

There is a need to use (1), (2), (3) because my original sentence for "event A equals to 1" is actually quite long. In case2, which way to use "semicolon" is correct?


Among stops (I am using the term here to denote a class of punctuation marks, not consonants), the semicolon is intermediate between the comma (“,”) on the one hand, and the period (“.”—full stop in British usage) on the other. For usage in separating independent clauses, think of it as a lesser period, giving the reader permission to take a slightly lesser mental/grammatical processing break. For usage in lists, think of it as a greater comma, separating list items that cannot be separated merely by commas because at least one of them includes a comma, to separate the main naming of the item from some appositive, non-restrictive relative clause, or other parenthetical addendum. The point I wish to emphasize here is that your confusion is a confusion between these two altogether different usages of the semicolon. This page from Merriam-Webster may be helpful.