Distribution may refer to:
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An Introduction to the Normal Distribution
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Normal Distribution - Explained Simply (part 1)
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What is Distribution?
Transcription
Let's look at an introduction to the normal distribution, also known as the Gaussian distribution. The normal distribution is an extremely important continuous probability distribution. It arises very very frequently in theory and practice. Here I've plotted out what is approximately the distribution of the height of adult Canadian males. And this, what we see here, is a normal distribution. This is our variable down here and f(x) is what we call the probability density function, which gives the height of the curve at point x. Here's the equation for the probability density function of the normal distribution. We're not going to be working with this directly very often, but there's a few points we should note. First of all, if the random variable X has a normal distribution, then it can take on any finite value. There are two parameters for this distribution. Mu is the mean of the distribution. And the mean can take on any finite value as well. Sigma is the standard deviation and sigma squared, of course, is the variance. Sigma has to be some positive value and of course sigma squared would have to be some positive value as well. Here's a normal distribution plotted out. Mu, the mean, is also right smack dab in the middle of the distribution. The distribution is symmetric about mu, so mu represents the mean of the probability distribution, and it's also the median of the probability distribution. No let's try and get some perspective for what sigma represents. Here I've plotted in one standard deviation below the mean to one standard deviation above the mean. And as we'll see a little bit later on this area between one standard deviation below to one standard deviation above is approximately 0.68. 68% of the area lies within one standard deviation of the mean Here I've plotted in mu minus two standard deviations to mu plus two standard deviations. And approximately 95% percent of the area lies within two standard deviations of the mean. And approximately 99.7% of the area lies within three standard deviations of the mean. Here's another plot to give us a little perspective on what sigma represents. Over here this red line represents a normal distribution with a standard deviation of sigma_2. And this white curve represents a normal distribution with a standard deviation of sigma_1. But sigma_2 is double sigma_1, so the standard deviation on the red curve is double the standard deviation of the white curve. And we can see that when the standard deviation is greater there is more area in the tails and a lower peak. There are an infinite number of different normal distributions corresponding to all the different possible values of mu and sigma. If X is a random variable that has a normal distribution with mean mu and variance sigma squared, we write this as the random variable X is distributed normally with a mean of mu and a variance of sigma squared. X is distributed normally, a big N, first term is the mean, second term is the variance. Be a bit careful here, as different sources can have a different term in here. Sometimes people have the second term representing the standard deviation. I have the second term representing the variance. So just be a bit careful with that. By definition, the standard normal distribution is a normal distribution with a mean of zero and a variance of one. We often represent random variables that have the standard normal distribution with the letter Z. And yes, I am Canadian. And this, we might say, if Z has a standard normal distribution, we might write this as Z is distributed normally with a mean of 0 and a variance of 1. That being mu, that being sigma squared. And if the variance is 1, of course sigma is 1 as well. As we will soon see, we very often need to find areas under the standard normal curve. Probabilities are simply areas under the curve, and very often the question of interest involves finding a probability. Finding probabilities and percentiles for the normal distribution requires integrating the probability density function. There isn't a closed-form solution and it must be integrated numerically. Fortunately for us ,we're going to use software or a standard normal table to actually find these values in practice.
Mathematics
- Distribution (mathematics), generalized functions used to formulate solutions of partial differential equations
- Probability distribution, the probability of a particular value or value range of a variable
- Cumulative distribution function, in which the probability of being no greater than a particular value is a function of that value
- Frequency distribution, a list of the values recorded in a sample
- Inner distribution, and outer distribution, in coding theory
- Distribution (differential geometry), a subset of the tangent bundle of a manifold
- Distributed parameter system, systems that have an infinite-dimensional state-space
- Distribution of terms, a situation in which all members of a category are accounted for
- Distributivity, a property of binary operations that generalises the distributive law from elementary algebra
- Distribution (number theory)
- Distribution problems, a common type of problems in combinatorics where the goal is to enumerate the number of possible distributions of m objects to n recipients, subject to various conditions; see Twelvefold way
Computing and telecommunications
- Distribution (concurrency), the projection operator in a history monoid, a representation of the histories of concurrent computer processes
- Data distribution or dissemination, to distribute information without direct feedback
- Digital distribution, publishing media digitally
- Distributed computing, the coordinated use of physically distributed computers (distributed systems) for tasks or storage
- Electronic brakeforce distribution, an automotive technology that varies brake force based on prevailing conditions
- Key distribution center, part of a cryptosystem intended to reduce the risks inherent in exchanging keys
- Software distribution, bundles of a specific software already compiled and configured
- A specific packaging of an operating system containing a kernel, toolchain, utilities and other software
- Linux distribution, one of several distributions built on the Linux kernel
- A specific packaging of an operating system containing a kernel, toolchain, utilities and other software
Natural sciences
- Distribution (pharmacology), the movement of a drug from one location to another within the body
- Species distribution, the manner in which a species is spatially arranged
- Cosmopolitan distribution, in which a species appears in appropriate environments around the world
- Spectral power distribution of light sources
Economics
- Distribution (economics), distribution of income or output among individuals or factors of production (or to help others)
- Distribution in kind, concerning the transfer of non-cash assets by a company to a shareholder, see Companies Act 2006
- Distribution (marketing), or place, one of the four elements of marketing mix
- Distribution resource planning, method used in business administration for planning orders within a supply chain
- Distributionism, an economic ideology
- Distribution of wealth, among members in a society
- Division of property, or equitable distribution, of property between spouses during divorce
- Food distribution, methods of transporting food
- Drug distribution, methods by which medication goes from manufacturer to consumer
Other sciences
- Electric power distribution, the final stage in the delivery of electricity
- Distributed generation, the use of technologies to provide electric power at the source of consumption
- Distributed production or distributed manufacturing, the fabrication of products by consumers such as with 3D printing
- Distribution of elements in the distributed-element model of electric circuits
- Trip distribution, part of the four-step transportation forecasting model
- The distribution of a linguistic element is the set of environments in which it occurs, which may be in complementary distribution, contrastive distribution, or free variation with another such element, and which is the basis of distributional semantics
Other uses
- Film distribution, the process of making a movie available for the audiences to watch
- Film distributor, an agent between a film producer and an exhibitor
- Purse distribution, in a horse race, the distribution of winnings among the highest finishers
- Record distribution, process of shipping and promoting record labels
- Font distribution, the units in which metal type is sold, containing relative proportions of letters appropriate for a given language
- Distribution (bridge), a term in the bridge card game
See also
- Apportionment, means distribution or allotment in proper shares
- Distributism, a political philosophy
- Distributor (disambiguation)
- Range (disambiguation)