Binomial proportion confidence interval ($p\in [0,1]$)

A confidence interval for the success probability of a binomial distribution, based on the observed success count and number of trials. A nominal confidence level need not equal the actual finite-sample coverage probability; the distinction matters especially for small samples and proportions near zero or one.

For $K\sim \mathrm{Bin}(n,p)$, $n>0$, put $\hat{p}=K/n$ and let $z$ be the $1-\alpha /2$ quantile of the standard normal distribution. Inverting the approximate score test retains precisely the parameters satisfyingMultiplication and collection of terms gives the quadratic inequalityIts two roots are the displayed endpoints. The Wilson score interval stays within $[0,1]$ and remains nontrivial when $K=0$ or $K=n$, unlike the unmodified Wald confidence interval. Its coverage probability is approximate and varies with $p$; it is not a uniformly exact 95% guarantee. Separate pointwise intervals for several groups are not a simultaneous confidence statement. The method is named after Edwin Bidwell Wilson.^[ref]