Probability Distributions

This volume presents a concise and practical overview of statistical methods and tables not readily available in other publications.  It begins with a review of the commonly used continuous and discrete probability distributions. Several useful distributions that are not so common and less understood are described with examples and applications in full detail: discrete normal, left-partial, right-partial, left-truncated normal, right-truncated normal, lognormal, bivariate normal, and bivariate lognormal. Table values are provided with examples that enable researchers to easily apply the distributions to real applications and sample data. The left- and right-truncated normal distributions offer a wide variety of shapes in contrast to the symmetrically shaped normal distribution, and a newly developed spread ratio enables analysts to determine which of the three distributions best fits a particular set of sample data.  The book will be highly useful to anyone who does statistical and probability analysis. This includes scientists, economists, management scientists, market researchers, engineers, mathematicians, and students in many disciplines.

Nick T. Thomopoulos, Ph.D., has degrees in business (B.S.) and in mathematics (M.A.) from the University of Illinois, and in industrial engineering (Ph.D.) from Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech). He was supervisor of operations research at International Harvester; senior scientist at the IIT Research Institute; and Professor in Industrial Engineering and in the Stuart School of Business at Illinois Tech. He is the author of eleven books including Fundamentals of Queuing Systems (Springer), Essentials of Monte Carlo Simulation (Springer), Applied Forecasting Methods (Prentice Hall), and Fundamentals of Production, Inventory and the Supply Chain (Atlantic). He has published many papers and has consultedin a wide variety of industries in the United States, Europe and Asia. Dr. Thomopoulos has received honors over the years, such as the Rist Prize from the Military Operations Research Society for new developments in queuing theory; the Distinguished Professor Award in Bangkok, Thailand from the Illinois Tech Asian Alumni Association; and the Professional Achievement Award from the Illinois Tech Alumni Association.