perlquestion
monkfan
Hi,<br>
I am attempting to compute a binomial distribution based on
formulation [http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~lane/hyperstat/A2301.html|here].<br><br>
Basically binomial distributions return the probability of an event occuring $k times.
In $n attempts, where the probability of it occuring in a single attempt is $p.<br><br>
I tried two methods that should give the identical result. One subroutine using Math::Pari via its 'binomial' function plus logarithmic function and the other one using brute combinatorial method. In the end it's the log-Math::Pari method which I intended to use, since it is able to handle large number.<br><br>
But however the result given by log-Math::Pari function is different from the correct combinatorial Method.
<code>
Sub Binom Comb = 0.3125 #This is correct
Sub Binom Log = 0.06868298952623189587 #wrong
</code>
What's wrong with my log-Math::Pari subroutine? It seems to me I have constructed log version mathematically in a right way. Or have I used the Math::Pari function wrongly?<br>
<code>
#!/usr/bin/perl -w
use strict;
use Math::Pari qw(binomial);
my $n = 6;
my $k = 3;
my $p = 0.5;
my $sub_binom_comb = binomial_comb($k,$n,$p);
my $sub_binom_log = binomial_log($k,$n,$p);
print "Sub Binom Comb = $sub_binom_comb\n";
print "Sub Binom Log = $sub_binom_log\n";
#----My Subroutines ------------
sub binomial_log{
#Find binomial distributions using Log
#and Math::Pari
my ($k, $n, $p) = @_;
my $first = log(binomial($n,$k));
#The above binomial function from Math::Pari
my $second = $k * log($p);
my $third = ($n-$k) * log (1-$p);
my $log_Prob = $first + $second + $third;
my $Prob = 10 ** ($log_Prob);
return $Prob;
}
sub binomial_comb {
#With combinatorial method
#using brute factorial
my ($x, $n, $p) = @_;
return unless $x >= 0 && $x == int $x && $n > 0 &&
$n == int $n && $p > 0 && $p <1;
return choose($n,$k) * ($p ** $x) * ((1-$p) ** ($n-$x));
}
sub choose {
my ($n,$k) = @_;
my ($result,$j) = (1,1);
return 0 if $k>$n||$k<0;
$k = ($n - $k) if ($n - $k) <$k;
while ($j <= $k ) {
$result *= $n--;
$result /= $j++;
}
return $result;
}
</code>
<div class="pmsig"><div class="pmsig-393886">
Regards,<br>
Edward
</div></div>