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# scipy.stats.zipf

`scipy.stats.``zipf`()

  A Zipf discrete random variable.

  Discrete random variables are defined from a standard form and may require some shape parameters to complete its specification. Any optional keyword parameters can be passed to the methods of the RV object as given below:

  Methods: | zipf.rvs(a,loc=0,size=1) : random variates zipf.pmf(x,a,loc=0) : probability mass function zipf.cdf(x,a,loc=0) : cumulative density function zipf.sf(x,a,loc=0) : survival function (1-cdf — sometimes more accurate) zipf.ppf(q,a,loc=0) : percent point function (inverse of cdf — percentiles) zipf.isf(q,a,loc=0) : inverse survival function (inverse of sf) zipf.stats(a,loc=0,moments=’mv’) : mean(‘m’,axis=0), variance(‘v’), skew(‘s’), and/or kurtosis(‘k’) zipf.entropy(a,loc=0) : entropy of the RV Alternatively, the object may be called (as a function) to fix : the shape and location parameters returning a : “frozen” discrete RV object: : myrv = zipf(a,loc=0) : frozen RV object with the same methods but holding the given shape and location fixed. You can construct an aribtrary discrete rv where P{X=xk} = pk : by passing to the rv_discrete initialization method (through the values= : keyword) a tuple of sequences (xk,pk) which describes only those values of : X (xk) that occur with nonzero probability (pk). :

  Examples

      >>> import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
      >>> numargs = zipf.numargs
      >>> [ a ] = ['Replace with resonable value',]*numargs

  Display frozen pmf:

      >>> rv = zipf(a)
      >>> x = np.arange(0,np.min(rv.dist.b,3)+1)
      >>> h = plt.plot(x,rv.pmf(x))

  Check accuracy of cdf and ppf:

      >>> prb = zipf.cdf(x,a)
      >>> h = plt.semilogy(np.abs(x-zipf.ppf(prb,a))+1e-20)

  Random number generation:

      >>> R = zipf.rvs(a,size=100)

  Custom made discrete distribution:

      >>> vals = [arange(7),(0.1,0.2,0.3,0.1,0.1,0.1,0.1)]
      >>> custm = rv_discrete(name='custm',values=vals)
      >>> h = plt.plot(vals[0],custm.pmf(vals[0]))

  Zipf distribution

  zipf.pmf(k,a) = 1/(zeta(a)*k**a) for k >= 1

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