Probability distribution

The normal distribution, often called the "bell curve"

Probability distribution is a term from mathematics. Suppose there are many events with random outcomes. A probability distribution is the theoretical counterpart to the frequency distribution. A frequency distribution simply shows how many times a certain event occurred. A probability distribution says how many times it should have occurred.

There are different probability distributions. Each of them has its use, its benefits, and its drawbacks.

Common ones are:

• Binomial distribution
• Cauchy distribution
• Chi-square distribution
• Exponential distribution
• Gumbel distribution
• Normal distribution
• Poisson distribution
• Student's t-distribution