RandomPareto ( scale ; shape )

Returns random values from a Pareto distribution

Average rating: 4.7 (26 votes) Log in to vote

Jeremy Bante

https://github.com/jbante/

Sample input:

List (
RandomPareto ( 10 ; 5 );
RandomPareto ( 10 ; 5 );
RandomPareto ( 10 ; 5 );
RandomPareto ( 10 ; 5 );
RandomPareto ( 10 ; 5 );
RandomPareto ( 10 ; 5 );
RandomPareto ( 10 ; 5 );
RandomPareto ( 10 ; 5 );
RandomPareto ( 10 ; 5 );
RandomPareto ( 10 ; 5 )
)

Sample output:

10.5075522381065894
10.524957808845031
10.2187113385470931
14.2580587120924929
14.9641695165561222
10.7538731493954288
11.4079729903101383
11.2475005409345975
10.8063240404453201
10.3323346040929216

Function definition: (Copy & paste into FileMaker's Edit Custom Function window)

/**
 * =====================================
 * RandomPareto ( scale ; shape )
 *
 * PURPOSE:
 *		When called repeatedly, RandomPareto creates values consistent with a
 *		Pareto random variable with the given parameters.
 *
 * RETURNS:
 *		A number representing a random variate from a Pareto distribution with
 *		the specified parameters.
 *
 * PARAMETERS:
 *		scale: A number, 0 < scale
 *		shape: A number, 0 < shape
 *
 * DEPENDENCIES: none
 *
 * HISTORY:
 *		CREATED on 2011-02-22 by Jeremy Bante <http://scr.im/jbante>.
 *
 * REFERENCES:
 *		http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_distribution
 * =====================================
 */

If ( 0 ≥ scale or 0 ≥ shape; //parameter is out of range
	"?";
	/*else*/ scale / ( Random ^ ( 1 / shape ) )
)

When called repeatedly, RandomPareto creates values consistent with a Pareto random variable with the given parameters.

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RandomPareto ( scale ; shape )

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