Re^5: Skew normally distributed random numbers

That's because his PRNG is not uniformly distributed. I try to show it in the ascii graphs below:

Uniformly distributed:

   start  avg   end
    _____________
   |             |
 __|             |__

Adding to start/end changes the avg:

       start  avg   end
        _____________
       |             |
     __|             |__

Normally distributed:

  start  avg   end
     __________
    /          \ 
 __/            \__

Changing only start/end may give strange results:

       start        end
        ________
       |        \
     __|         \_______
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Re^6: Skew normally distributed random numbers by BrowserUk (Patriarch) on Jan 28, 2005 at 13:49 UTC
Okay. I got it now. You know what they say about pictures--I guess I should go back to my comic books. Examine what is said, not who speaks. Silence betokens consent. Love the truth but pardon error.	[reply]
Re^6: Skew normally distributed random numbers by BrowserUk (Patriarch) on Jan 28, 2005 at 15:27 UTC
but... :) Most of the examples of skewed normal distributions I can find seem to show the same range, but with the peak (median?) offset to one side or the other. rather than the whole range translated sideways? Admittedly, most of the axis on the example curves aren't labelled, so it is hard to tell whether the range remains constant. Examine what is said, not who speaks. Silence betokens consent. Love the truth but pardon error.	[reply]
Re^7: Skew normally distributed random numbers by fglock (Vicar) on Jan 28, 2005 at 16:38 UTC
I think you are right. He never said he wanted a normal distribution in the output. He said he wanted to skew the normal distribution he already had.	[reply]


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