
JavaScript library for the visualization of statistical distributions - r0muald
https://github.com/richarddmorey/stat-distributions-js
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stared
The actual interesting link is here: [http://learnbayes.org/demo/stat-
distributions-js/distributio...](http://learnbayes.org/demo/stat-
distributions-js/distributionTable.html) (a table of distributions).

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graycat
Please:

(1) Yes, in probability, _distributions_ are crucial concepts.

(2) In practice, for random variables taking real number values, usually can't
know the distribution. For random variables taking vector values of dimension
over, say, three, essentially never can know the distribution.

(3) The main approach in practice is to use the classic limit theorems,
especially the law of large numbers and the central limit theorem, to let us
know at most only a little about the distributions.

(4) More generally, we have to work nearly always knowing few or no details
about the distributions.

Looking at some _histograms_? For a first-cut, sometimes maybe okay.

Looking at pictures of distributions? Nearly useless.

~~~
stared
For Bayesian modeling making assumptions about distributions is crucial.

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lorenzhs
Very nice! One thing that would make it easier to see how the distribution
behaves would be to have a number of common parameter choices as presets for
each distribution, like the Wikipedia pages often do.

At least, that is what I would find useful when picking a distribution to use
for random inputs. It's also what bugs me about every documentation of C++11's
<random> header I've found---they're great if you know which distribution you
need, but picking one (when you have the freedom to choose) is hard. Of
course, that isn't the job of a language reference, and this could be the tool
for that.

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javajosh
If I could send two things back in time to aid my undergrad physics self in
his studies, it would be this and [http://acko.net/blog/how-to-fold-a-julia-
fractal/](http://acko.net/blog/how-to-fold-a-julia-fractal/) (which is as
close to an intuition about complex numbers as I've every seen written to a
screen).

Really useful and cool. Thanks.

