Using RAND() with Different Distributions!?

[mas_it_2000]

Hi everyone,

In Excel, by going to Tools/Data Analysis/Random Number Generation,
then clicking ok and going to "Distribution" window, you can select any
distribution available (uniform, normal, ....etc.)

Now, after I make a selection to a distribution, and then using RAND(),
wont that mean that my random numbers do follow the selected
distribution?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[barrfly]

unfortunately no. The rand() function only delivers a random numbe
that is uniformly distributed between 0 and 1. You can use th
norminv(rand()) function combination to create a normally distribute
random number with a mean and stdev of your choosing

 

[Guest]

No. the random number generation in data analysis willl generate a table of
random numbers with the given distribution, but it does not change the
Rand() factorr

 

[Jerry W. Lewis]

And similarly, you can use other INV functions with RAND() generate
random numbers that follow other distributions. Unfortunately, Pre-2003
INV functions are too crude to do this well (which also means that ATP
does it poorly).

Jerry

 

[David J. Braden]

Jerry,
It's worse yet with ATP, because it uses its own rng. It is SO bad that I
would like to know the algorithm. I think I posted some VBA code a while
back to show how lousy it is; you can use it to generate 10000 values; then
sort them and do a frequency count. You'll find some mighty strange stuff;
quite a few numbers get repeated, and some values get repeated 7 or 8 times,
depending on the seed. Suggest to the good folks at MS to eviscerate the
thing, please.

Regards,
Dave B

 

[Niek Otten]

Hey, David! Good to see you again! How are you?

--
Kind regards,

Niek Otten

Microsoft MVP - Excel

 

[Conrad Carlberg]

And I repeat Niek's "Hey."

C^2
Conrad Carlberg