Rayleigh distribution

Rayleigh
Probability density function
Plot of the Rayleigh PDF
Cumulative distribution function
Plot of the Rayleigh CDF
Parameters scale:
Support
PDF
CDF
Quantile
Mean
Median
Mode
Variance
Skewness
Excess kurtosis
Entropy
MGF
CF

In probability theory and statistics, the Rayleigh distribution is a continuous probability distribution for nonnegative-valued random variables. Up to rescaling, it coincides with the chi distribution with two degrees of freedom. The distribution is named after Lord Rayleigh (/ˈrli/).[1]

A Rayleigh distribution is often observed when the overall magnitude of a vector in the plane is related to its directional components. One example where the Rayleigh distribution naturally arises is when wind velocity is analyzed in two dimensions. Assuming that each component is uncorrelated, normally distributed with equal variance, and zero mean, which is infrequent, then the overall wind speed (vector magnitude) will be characterized by a Rayleigh distribution. A second example of the distribution arises in the case of random complex numbers whose real and imaginary components are independently and identically distributed Gaussian with equal variance and zero mean. In that case, the absolute value of the complex number is Rayleigh-distributed.

  1. ^ "The Wave Theory of Light", Encyclopedic Britannica 1888; "The Problem of the Random Walk", Nature 1905 vol.72 p.318