# Plotting probabilistic histogram on a specific range on log scale

I'm having a problem getting a combined effect - I have a list of values for which I'd like to plot a histogram. As a minimal example:

data={0.00207824,0.0025943,0.0011068,0.00232267,
0.000191364,0.001509,0.000188004,0.000428207,
0.00435273,0.00412084,0.00247925,0.0104363,
0.000592709,0.00265474,0.000869573,0.0201809,
0.000121145,0.000526594,0.000206296,0.000428068,
0.0000799537,0.00748977,0.000390255,0.0000120368,
0.000310765,0.000236278,0.000757155,0.000487673,
0.0032382,0.0171548,0.000727257,0.0027107,
5.816414794263675*10^( -7)}

Histogram[data, Automatic, "Probability",
ScalingFunctions -> {"Log", "Log"}, PlotRange -> {0.00001, 1}]


The histogram's y-axis should be a probability. Both axes need to be on log-scale. I've solved that, but now I'd like to have the x-axis on a specified range. Apparently once there was HistogramRange which was superceded by PlotRange which gives me nothing.

It's probably silly but I can't find a solution. Anyone knows how? Thanks in advance.

Update:

Strangely, the following command produces a much nicer log-scale x-axis (by nicer I mean with better resolution to the whole range):

Show[Histogram[data, "Log", "Probability"]]


I still don't know how to specifically scale the axis.

• Welcome to MSE. If you could post your code, or at least a Minimum Working Example (MWE) of what you're trying to do, it helps people to understand exactly what you're trying to do and give better feedback. – Quantum_Oli Dec 17 '15 at 13:47
• Hey, thanks for the comment. I edited it. It's not very aesthetic but it's readable. – LeadFarmer Dec 18 '15 at 11:27
• How about PlotRange -> {{0.00001, 1}, Automatic} – Lotus Dec 18 '15 at 11:58
• Nope, it plots an empty histogram, with x-axis on logarithmic scale over {1,2.5} and no scale on the y-axis. Before the Automatic you suggested the result was opposite (i.e. blank x-axis, logarithmic {1,2.5} y-axis). – LeadFarmer Dec 18 '15 at 13:35
• I wonder why you would want to have the vertical axis on a log scale and also have the horizontal axis on a log scale after constructing the histogram. That would seem to make meaningless the "Probability" option. I understand that if most of the numbers are squeezed to the left, then the usual histogram is not very informative. However, using Histogram[Log10[data], Automatic, "Probability"] might give you a more informative and interpretable display. – JimB Dec 18 '15 at 14:42

Your PlotRange specification is setting the range of the y-axis. You need to adjust it to set the range of the x-axis.

Histogram[data, Automatic, "Probability",
ScalingFunctions -> {"Log", "Log"},
PlotRange -> {{0.00001, 1}, Automatic}]


Hope this helps.

• Hey, thanks for the comment. It's actually the same as what @Lotus offered. Under the exact same command as you've written (and the aforementioned data) I'm getting a blank histogram with no ticks over the y-axis and a log-scale x-axis over {1,2.5}. Any guesses to what may be wrong? – LeadFarmer Dec 19 '15 at 9:08
• Try executing in a new kernel. – Edmund Dec 19 '15 at 13:47
• Hey, thanks again. To execute in a new kernel I followed this link, still same output. – LeadFarmer Dec 21 '15 at 8:38
• You have restarted Mathematica and have a notebook that only has the data assignment and the Histogram code above and it does not work? – Edmund Dec 21 '15 at 13:16
• Yes, I tried that. Also tried deleting paclets and restarting the computer. No success yet. – LeadFarmer Dec 24 '15 at 11:13