Bounded density tilt 2026-10-07
For bounded measurable with , the formula defines a normalized positive probability density function for . A uniform Taylor expansion of the square root proves differentiability in quadratic mean with score function : the squared remainder is . Such paths realize all bounded centered directions of an unrestricted density model.
Cauchy distribution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
The Cauchy distribution with location and scale has probability density functionThe standard Cauchy distribution has , , characteristic function , and infinite first absolute moment.
Density estimation Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
Density estimation constructs an estimate of an unknown probability density function from sampled observations.
Density ratio 2026-10-06
A density ratio compares two probability density functions relative to the same underlying measure. More generally it is a Radon-Nikodym derivative when one probability measure has absolute continuity of measures with respect to the other.
Differentiability in quadratic mean 2026-10-07
A dominated statistical path is differentiable in quadratic mean at if its square-root probability density function has an L2 space derivative , with . The score function is . This formulation controls mass near zeros of as well as the derivative on the support of ; a pointwise log-density derivative is insufficient by itself.
Differential entropy 2026-10-06
The differential entropy of a probability density function is when this expected value is defined. Unlike discrete information entropy, it can be negative and depends on the coordinates and reference measure. It is the entropy term in the evidence lower bound for continuous variational inference.
Edgeworth series 2026-10-05
An Edgeworth expansion approximates a probability density function by a normal distribution multiplied by Hermite polynomials encoding higher cumulants. For a centered variable of variance and third cumulant ,The correction follows from inverse-transforming the cubic term of the cumulant-generating function. It is an asymptotic approximation near the bulk of the distribution; truncation can give a negative result in far tails.
The entry count counts jumps of a continuous-time Markov chain into state by time , excluding initial occupation. It is a counting process. For homogeneous transition intensities, its mean has derivative conditional on initial state , so its expected value is the sum of incoming rates times the expected occupation times of a continuous-time Markov chain. This density is an expected count rate, not necessarily a normalized probability density function.
Gaussian scale mixture 2026-10-06
A Gaussian scale mixture is a random variable , where has a standard normal distribution and is independent of a positive random scale . Its probability density function is the average of the conditional normal densities. Random scales can produce larger kurtosis than a single normal law.
Generalized Kullback–Leibler divergence 2026-10-06
For nonnegative densities of possibly different total masses, this divergence includes the mass correction as well as the logarithmic term. It is the Bregman distance of the maximum-entropy regularization functional at a positive reference . Convexity of proves nonnegativity. For equal masses the correction integrates to zero, recovering the Kullback-Leibler divergence; for probability density functions both masses are one. Use the usual extended-value conventions at zero reference density.
Geometric sum of shape-two gamma variables 2026-10-07
Let the summands have gamma distribution with shape two and rate , and let the independent positive-support geometric distribution count have parameter . Put and . The aggregate moment-generating function factors as , so it is the sum of two independent exponential distributions of rates . Its probability density function is for , nonnegative and integrating to one. This contrasts with the geometric sum of exponential variables, which is itself exponential.
Hellinger affinity 2026-10-06
The Hellinger affinity of dominated probability measures is the integral of the geometric mean of their probability density functions. It lies in by Cauchy-Schwarz inequality. The unnormalized squared Hellinger distance is times this affinity; this identity makes the relation with relative entropy particularly simple.
With the convention , the Hellinger distance between two normal distributions with isTo prove it, integrate the geometric mean of their probability density functions. Completing the square makes that geometric mean the density of a normal distribution times the displayed prefactor and exponential. For example, writing , that normal distribution has mean and variance . The identity then proves the formula.
Hit-and-run kernel density 2026-10-05
For a planar hit-and-run sampler, let be the chord length and the fraction of directions with positive chord length. With zero-length chords redrawn, the probability density function isfor almost every in the body. Interior points have . The two signed representations of a direction contribute the factor two in the polar-coordinate calculation. If the body has diameter , a version of this density is bounded below by . This is a global Doeblin condition after normalization by the body's area.
Hypoexponential distribution Created 2026-10-05 Updated 2026-10-06
A hypoexponential distribution is the distribution of a sum of independent variables with exponential distributions. For two positive unequal rates , convolution of independent random variables gives the probability density functionIt is zero for negative . Its equal-rate limit is the shape-two gamma distribution with rate .
For two independent rate- exponential distributions, set and . Summing the two ordering branches gives joint probability density for with . It factors into independent exponential probability density functions. Thus is distributed as , with expected value and variance . This spacing result is the order-statistic manifestation of the memorylessness of the exponential distribution.
Integrated squared bias from a density jump Created 2026-10-06 Updated 2026-10-07
An uncorrected nonnegative symmetric kernel density estimator can leak an order-one amount across a jump in a probability density function. If its transition region has width proportional to the smoothing bandwidth , the integrated mean squared error includes squared bias of an estimator of order , rather than the order familiar for twice-smooth interior densities. For the unit-width uniform window and the exponential distribution of rate one, the integrated squared bias of an estimator is .
Inverse Gaussian distribution Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
For an expected value parameter and a shape parameter , the inverse Gaussian distribution has probability density functionIts mean is and its variance is .
For a strictly positive probability density function with Lipschitz bound , satisfies . If and , monotonicity gives and hence . The Lipschitz density height bound prevents extending this local argument to every by assuming for a strictly positive density.
Involutive Metropolis proposal 2026-10-06
An involutive Metropolis proposal uses a deterministic bijection satisfying . For a volume-preserving and target probability density function , accept with probability . The identity and a change of variables under prove detailed balance. A non-unit Jacobian determinant must be included when volume is not preserved.