# How to fit a Distribution to data that already looks like a distribution?

I have a set of data that is already ordered as a distribution. Here is a picture worth 999 words:

I tried FindDistributionParameters, and EstimatedDistribution and I keep getting the message "One or more data points are not in support of the process...".

Any advise? Thank you.

P.S.: Here is the data. Note, the max range of the data is not known, so it could be from {0,inf} - but the range of the data shown is [0,10].

0.0258899, 0.047329, 0.0683456, 0.0861312, 0.103529, 0.118554, \
0.124337, 0.127011, 0.131217, 0.134408, 0.132016, 0.130485, 0.127444, \
0.122495, 0.117607, 0.112261, 0.108703, 0.10322, 0.100889, 0.0955182, \
0.0902072, 0.085152, 0.079376, 0.0752159, 0.0722947, 0.0686795, \
0.0653517, 0.062192, 0.0598642, 0.0569383, 0.0548917, 0.0513092, \
0.0485989, 0.0472422, 0.0458829, 0.0434763, 0.0406302, 0.03872, \
0.0371639, 0.0370529, 0.0353547, 0.0332693, 0.0320803, 0.0302454, \
0.0300313, 0.0294249, 0.0281058, 0.0271762, 0.0256051, 0.0257485, \
0.0250776, 0.0237297, 0.0227674, 0.0225286, 0.0221572, 0.0213558, \
0.0206458, 0.0199427, 0.0191173, 0.0172471, 0.017145, 0.0170844, \
0.016805, 0.0162183, 0.0150205, 0.0149596, 0.0148139, 0.0142276, \
0.0141969, 0.0139716, 0.0132321, 0.0128165, 0.0129189, 0.0126378, \
0.0123681, 0.0122255, 0.0121722, 0.0117113, 0.010789, 0.0105248, \
0.0100393, 0.0103667, 0.0102826, 0.0102321, 0.0104435, 0.0100861, \
0.00972111, 0.00957839, 0.00966471, 0.00963415, 0.00880081, \
0.00873474, 0.00859673, 0.00816511, 0.00792854, 0.0075657, \
0.00747507, 0.00734244, 0.00729432}

• Besides removing the zero ... Can you include a link of all the data because I was able to use FindDistributionParameters on the selection you provided Jul 18, 2016 at 2:24
• @Young Thanks, that was not supposed to be a zero but I guess it was being truncated. Now the two functions work but the parameters I get back they don't give me anything similar to the data I have. Jul 18, 2016 at 2:24
• What distribution are you using as the model to match? As stated by @Young you need to post a link to your data since the sample data that you provided is not a good representation of the data shown in your plot. Jul 18, 2016 at 2:52
• It does not appear that your data is from a random sample from any particular distribution but rather you have "measurements" that have the shape of a probability distribution. Another indication that you don't have a real density function is that the area under the curve is around 0.43 and not 1.0. If so, you should avoid any maximum likelihood estimation or any other estimation technique that assumes you have a random sample. Is there some reason why you think it a probability density function is what you need?
– JimB
Jul 18, 2016 at 3:20
• @JimBaldwin I dont know what the t-max is so now I realize my info above is a little misleading. I know its a probability distribution because I was simulating the Faynman-Kac fomrula which gives distribution of certain Wiener functionals. Jul 18, 2016 at 3:30

You don't seem to have a random sample from any probability distribution but rather have measurements/observations that might have a similar functional form as a probability density function.

Your curve has an area of about 0.43 going from 0 to 10. While the tail of the distribution you envision might be heavy enough to hold the remaining 0.57 of a probability distribution, I don't believe it.

So as @Young suggested, you can certainly fit a curve that happens to have a similar form as a probability distribution (but you can't pretend you're fitting a probability distribution).

To fit such a curve I'm assuming that the data presented are the "y-values" and that the "x-values" are uniformly spaced from 0.1 to 9.9. So the first step is to make a data set that reflects that:

data = {0.0258899, 0.047329, 0.0683456, 0.0861312, 0.103529, 0.118554,
0.124337, 0.127011, 0.131217, 0.134408, 0.132016, 0.130485,
0.127444, 0.122495, 0.117607, 0.112261, 0.108703, 0.10322,
0.100889, 0.0955182, 0.0902072, 0.085152, 0.079376, 0.0752159,
0.0722947, 0.0686795, 0.0653517, 0.062192, 0.0598642, 0.0569383,
0.0548917, 0.0513092, 0.0485989, 0.0472422, 0.0458829, 0.0434763,
0.0406302, 0.03872, 0.0371639, 0.0370529, 0.0353547, 0.0332693,
0.0320803, 0.0302454, 0.0300313, 0.0294249, 0.0281058, 0.0271762,
0.0256051, 0.0257485, 0.0250776, 0.0237297, 0.0227674, 0.0225286,
0.0221572, 0.0213558, 0.0206458, 0.0199427, 0.0191173, 0.0172471,
0.017145, 0.0170844, 0.016805, 0.0162183, 0.0150205, 0.0149596,
0.0148139, 0.0142276, 0.0141969, 0.0139716, 0.0132321, 0.0128165,
0.0129189, 0.0126378, 0.0123681, 0.0122255, 0.0121722, 0.0117113,
0.010789, 0.0105248, 0.0100393, 0.0103667, 0.0102826, 0.0102321,
0.0104435, 0.0100861, 0.00972111, 0.00957839, 0.00966471,
0.00963415, 0.00880081, 0.00873474, 0.00859673, 0.00816511,
0.00792854, 0.0075657, 0.00747507, 0.00734244, 0.00729432};
(* Include the "x" value *)
data = Table[{i/10, data[[i]]}, {i, Length[data]}];


Now try a curve that has the same shape as a log-normal density function:

nlm = NonlinearModelFit[data,
k Exp[-(Log[x] - m)^2/(2 s^2)]/x, {m, s, k}, x];
nlm["BestFitParameters"]
(* {m -> 0.795688, s -> 0.951072, k -> 0.186508} *)
Show[ListPlot[data], Plot[nlm[x], {x, 0, 10}]]


The fit is not great (in my mind) but you need to determine if it meets your needs.

• "...but you can't pretend you're fitting a probability distribution."... the salient point, +1
– ciao
Jul 18, 2016 at 6:16
• I could be wrong but the literature says I should be getting back a probability density. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feynman%E2%80%93Kac_formula I was doing the example in the remarks with v(x)=0.25*x^2, and diffusion dx=dw. Jul 18, 2016 at 11:31
• I'm not disagreeing with the literature (especially Feynman). But if you could show how you obtained even just one of the observations (and include what "x-value" is associated with that "observed probability density value"), that would allow someone to help.
– JimB
Jul 18, 2016 at 12:45

I agree with Jim Baldwin, but here is the code I put together based on this data originating from a random sample (Just in case that helps you for some reason). Your original problem was the 0 data point causing the functions not to evaluate.

dist = {0.0258899, 0.047329, 0.0683456, 0.0861312, 0.103529, 0.118554,
0.124337, 0.127011, 0.131217, 0.134408, 0.132016, 0.130485,
0.127444, 0.122495, 0.117607, 0.112261, 0.108703, 0.10322,
0.100889, 0.0955182, 0.0902072, 0.085152, 0.079376, 0.0752159,
0.0722947, 0.0686795, 0.0653517, 0.062192, 0.0598642, 0.0569383,
0.0548917, 0.0513092, 0.0485989, 0.0472422, 0.0458829, 0.0434763,
0.0406302, 0.03872, 0.0371639, 0.0370529, 0.0353547, 0.0332693,
0.0320803, 0.0302454, 0.0300313, 0.0294249, 0.0281058, 0.0271762,
0.0256051, 0.0257485, 0.0250776, 0.0237297, 0.0227674, 0.0225286,
0.0221572, 0.0213558, 0.0206458, 0.0199427, 0.0191173, 0.0172471,
0.017145, 0.0170844, 0.016805, 0.0162183, 0.0150205, 0.0149596,
0.0148139, 0.0142276, 0.0141969, 0.0139716, 0.0132321, 0.0128165,
0.0129189, 0.0126378, 0.0123681, 0.0122255, 0.0121722, 0.0117113,
0.010789, 0.0105248, 0.0100393, 0.0103667, 0.0102826, 0.0102321,
0.0104435, 0.0100861, 0.00972111, 0.00957839, 0.00966471,
0.00963415, 0.00880081, 0.00873474, 0.00859673, 0.00816511,
0.00792854, 0.0075657, 0.00747507, 0.00734244, 0.00729432};

fdist = FindDistribution[dist]
paramsA = FindDistributionParameters[dist, LogNormalDistribution[μ, σ]]
paramsB = FindDistributionParameters[dist, UniformDistribution[{min, max}]]

Plot[PDF[LogNormalDistribution[μ, σ] /. paramsA, {x}], {x, 0, 0.1},
Filling -> Axis, PlotRange -> All]
Plot[PDF[UniformDistribution[{min, max}] /. paramsB, {x}], {x, 0, 0.1},
Filling -> Axis, PlotRange -> All]
Plot[PDF[fdist, {x}], {x, 0, 0.1}, Filling -> Axis, PlotRange -> All]


MixtureDistribution[{0.747238, 0.252762}, {LogNormalDistribution[-3.99373, 0.633476], UniformDistribution[{0.00729432, 0.134408}]}]

data = {0.0258899, 0.047329, 0.0683456, 0.0861312, 0.103529, 0.118554,
0.124337, 0.127011, 0.131217, 0.134408, 0.132016, 0.130485, 0.127444,
0.122495, 0.117607, 0.112261, 0.108703, 0.10322, 0.100889, 0.0955182,
0.0902072, 0.085152, 0.079376, 0.0752159, 0.0722947, 0.0686795, 0.0653517,
0.062192, 0.0598642, 0.0569383, 0.0548917, 0.0513092, 0.0485989, 0.0472422,
0.0458829, 0.0434763, 0.0406302, 0.03872, 0.0371639, 0.0370529, 0.0353547,
0.0332693, 0.0320803, 0.0302454, 0.0300313, 0.0294249, 0.0281058,
0.0271762, 0.0256051, 0.0257485, 0.0250776, 0.0237297, 0.0227674,
0.0225286, 0.0221572, 0.0213558, 0.0206458, 0.0199427, 0.0191173,
0.0172471, 0.017145, 0.0170844, 0.016805, 0.0162183, 0.0150205, 0.0149596,
0.0148139, 0.0142276, 0.0141969, 0.0139716, 0.0132321, 0.0128165,
0.0129189, 0.0126378, 0.0123681, 0.0122255, 0.0121722, 0.0117113, 0.010789,
0.0105248, 0.0100393, 0.0103667, 0.0102826, 0.0102321, 0.0104435,
0.0100861, 0.00972111, 0.00957839, 0.00966471, 0.00963415, 0.00880081,
0.00873474, 0.00859673, 0.00816511, 0.00792854, 0.0075657, 0.00747507,
0.00734244, 0.00729432};


Try a mix of distributions

distModel = MixtureDistribution[{w, 1 - w},
{LogNormalDistribution[m, s1],
RayleighDistribution[s2]}];

dist = distModel /.
FindDistributionParameters[data,
distModel];

Integrate[PDF[dist, x], {x, 0, Infinity}]

(*  1.  *)

Show[
Histogram[data, 11, "PDF"],
Plot[PDF[dist, x], {x, 0, Max[data]}],
PlotRange -> All]