STATISTICAL

DISTRIBUTIONS
• Statistical data distributions describe how data points
are spread out across different values in a dataset.
• Understanding these distributions
• analyzing and interpreting data,
• revealing patterns, trends,
• underlying structures.
• A statistical data distribution is a function that shows the possible
values of a variable and how frequently they occur. It provides a
mathematical description of the data’s behavior, indicating where
most data points are concentrated and how they are spread out.

• Distributions can be represented in various forms,

• histograms, probability density functions (for
continuous data)
• probability mass functions (for discrete data).
• Probability Function: A function that assigns probabilities
to different outcomes in a dataset.

• Probability Density Function (PDF): For continuous

variables, it describes the likelihood of a value falling
within a particular range.

• Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF): Represents the

probability that a variable takes a value less than or
equal to a specific point.
Types of Statistical Data Distributions
Statistical data distributions can be broadly classified into two
categories:
1. Discrete Distributions:
Definition: Distributions where the variable can take on only a finite
or countable number of values.
Examples: Binomial distribution, Poisson distribution, Geometric
distribution.
2. Continuous Distributions:
Definition: Distributions where the variable can take on an infinite
number of values within a given range.
Examples: Normal distribution, Exponential distribution, Uniform
distribution.
Common Statistical Distributions

1. Normal Distribution

Shape: Bellshaped and symmetric.

Characteristics: Mean, median, and mode are all equal. It’s described by its
mean (μ) and standard deviation (σ).
Example: Heights of people, test scores.
2. Binomial Distribution

Type: Discrete distribution.

Characteristics: Models the number of successes in a fixed number of
independent trials, each with the same probability of success.
Example: Flipping a coin multiple times, number of defective items in a
batch.
3. Poisson Distribution

Type: Discrete distribution.

Characteristics: Describes the number of events occurring in a fixed
interval of time or space, with events happening independently of each
other.
Example: Number of emails received per hour, number of accidents at a
crossroads.
4. Exponential Distribution

Type: Continuous distribution.

Characteristics: Models the time between consecutive events in a Poisson
process.
Example: Time until a radioactive particle decays, time between arrivals of
buses.
5. Uniform Distribution

Type: Continuous distribution.

Characteristics: All outcomes are equally likely within a given
range.
Example: Rolling a fair die, random number generation within a
specific interval.
6. Student’s Distribution

Type: Continuous distribution.

Characteristics: Similar to the normal distribution but with heavier
tails. Used when sample sizes are small and population standard
deviation is unknown.
Example: Estimating population parameters from a small sample.
Properties of Distributions
1. Mean (μ)

Definition: The average of all data points in the distribution. It

indicates the central tendency of the distribution.
Importance: Represents the expected value of the distribution.
2. Variance (σ²) and Standard Deviation (σ)

Variance: Measures the spread of the data points around the

mean. It’s the average of the squared differences from the
mean.
Standard Deviation: The square root of variance. It gives a
sense of how much the data deviates from the mean.
3. Skewness

Definition: A measure of the asymmetry of the distribution.

Types:

Positive Skew: Tail on the right side is longer.

Negative Skew: Tail on the left side is longer.

4. Kurtosis

Definition: Measures the “tailedness” of the distribution.

Types:

Leptokurtic: Distributions with heavy tails.

Platykurtic: Distributions with light tails.

Mesokurtic: Distributions with tails similar to the normal distribution.

5. Mode

Definition: The value that appears most frequently in the distribution.

Relevance: Indicates the peak or most common value in the dataset.
Symmetric Skewness: A perfect symmetric distribution is one in which
frequency distribution is the same on the sides of the center point of the frequency
curve. In this, Mean = Median = Mode. There is no skewness in a perfectly
symmetrical distribution.
Asymmetric Skewness: A asymmetrical or skewed distribution is one in
which the spread of the frequencies is different on both the sides of the center
point or the frequency curve is more stretched towards one side or value of
Mean. Median and Mode falls at different points.

•Positive Skewness: In this, the concentration of

frequencies is more towards higher values of the variable i.e.
the right tail is longer than the left tail.
•Negative Skewness: In this, the concentration of
frequencies is more towards the lower values of the variable
i.e. the left tail is longer than the right tail.
What is Kurtosis?
It is also a characteristic of the frequency distribution. It
gives an idea about the shape of a frequency
distribution. Basically, the measure of kurtosis is the extent
to which a frequency distribution is peaked in comparison
with a normal curve.
1.Leptokurtic: Leptokurtic is a curve having a high peak
than the normal distribution. In this curve, there is too
much concentration of items near the central value.
2.Mesokurtic: Mesokurtic is a curve having a normal
peak than the normal curve. In this curve, there is equal
distribution of items around the central value.
3.Platykurtic: Platykurtic is a curve having a low peak
than the normal curve is called platykurtic. In this curve,
there is less concentration of items around the central
value.
Sl. No. Skewness Kurtosis
It indicates the shape and size of
It indicates the frequencies of
1. variation on either side of the central
distribution at the central value.
value.
The measure differences of skewness
tell us about the magnitude and It indicates the concentration of items at
2. direction of the asymmetry of a the central part of a distribution.
distribution.
It studies the divergence of the given
It indicates how far the distribution
3. differs from the normal distribution.
distribution from the normal
distribution.
The measure of skewness studies the
4. extent to which deviation clusters is are It indicates the concentration of items.
above or below the average.
In an asymmetrical distribution, the
5. deviation below or above an average is No such distribution takes place.
not equal.
Eigenvalue decomposition, also known as eigen decomposition, is a method in linear
algebra that involves breaking down a square matrix into its eigenvalues and
eigenvectors. This process helps us understand how the matrix behaves and how it
transforms data.
Importance of Eigen decomposition
Eigen decomposition is widely used because it makes complex tasks simpler:

• Simplifying Matrix Powers: It helps in easily calculating powers of

matrices, which is useful in solving equations and modeling systems.
• Data Simplification: It is used in techniques like PCA to reduce large
datasets into fewer dimensions, making them easier to analyze.
• Physics: In quantum mechanics, it helps in understanding how systems
change over time.
• Image Processing: It is used in tasks like image compression and
enhancement, making handling images more efficient.
1.X is a normally distributed variable with mean μ = 30 and
standard deviation σ = 4. Find the probabilities
a) P(X < 40)
b) P(X > 21)
c) P(30 < X < 35)