std::exponential_distribution

 

C++

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Technical Specifications

 

Numerics library

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random_device (C++11)

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uniform_int_distribution (C++11)

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poisson_distribution (C++11)

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normal_distribution (C++11)

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discrete_distribution (C++11)

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Seed Sequences

seed_seq (C++11)

C library

rand

srand

RAND_MAX

 

std::exponential_distribution

Member functions

exponential_distribution::exponential_distribution

exponential_distribution::reset

Generation

exponential_distribution::operator()

Characteristics

exponential_distribution::lambda

exponential_distribution::param

exponential_distribution::min

exponential_distribution::max

Non-member functions

operator==operator!=

operator<<operator>>

 

Defined in header <random>
template< class RealType = double > class exponential_distribution;		(since C++11)

Produces random non-negative floating-point values x, distributed according to probability density function:

P(x|λ) = λe-λx

The value obtained is the time/distance until the next random event if random events occur at constant rate λ per unit of time/distance. For example, this distribution describes the time between the clicks of a Geiger counter or the distance between point mutations in a DNA strand.

This is the continuous counterpart of std::geometric_distribution

std::exponential_distribution satisfies RandomNumberDistribution

Template parameters

RealType

-

The result type generated by the generator. The effect is undefined if this is not one of float, double, or long double.

Member types

Member type	Definition
result_type	RealType
param_type	the type of the parameter set, see RandomNumberDistribution.

Member functions

(constructor)	constructs new distribution (public member function)
reset	resets the internal state of the distribution (public member function)
Generation
operator()	generates the next random number in the distribution (public member function)
Characteristics
lambda	returns the lambda distribution parameter (rate of events) (public member function)
param	gets or sets the distribution parameter object (public member function)
min	returns the minimum potentially generated value (public member function)
max	returns the maximum potentially generated value (public member function)

Non-member functions

operator==operator!=	compares two distribution objects (function)
operator<<operator>>	performs stream input and output on pseudo-random number distribution (function template)

Notes

Some implementations may occasionally return infinity if RealType is float. This is LWG issue 2524

Example

Run this code

#include <iostream>
#include <iomanip>
#include <string>
#include <map>
#include <random>
int main()
{
    std::random_device rd;
    std::mt19937 gen(rd());
 
    // if particles decay once per second on average,
    // how much time, in seconds, until the next one?
    std::exponential_distribution<> d(1);
 
    std::map<int, int> hist;
    for(int n=0; n<10000; ++n) {
        ++hist[2*d(gen)];
    }
    for(auto p : hist) {
        std::cout << std::fixed << std::setprecision(1) 
                  << p.first/2.0 << '-' << (p.first+1)/2.0 <<
                ' ' << std::string(p.second/200, '*') << '\n';
    }
}

Possible output:

0.0-0.5 *******************
0.5-1.0 ***********
1.0-1.5 *******
1.5-2.0 ****
2.0-2.5 **
2.5-3.0 *
3.0-3.5 
3.5-4.0

External links

Weisstein, Eric W. "Exponential Distribution." From MathWorld--A Wolfram Web Resource.