Probability histogram

A probability histogram is a bar graph of a discrete probability distribution in which each bar's height is the probability of that value.

A probability histogram looks like a histogram of data, except the bar heights are probabilities instead of counts, so the heights add to 1. Rolling a fair die gives six bars of equal height 1/60.16671/6 \approx 0.1667, and 6(1/6)=16(1/6) = 1. The mean of the random variable is the balance point of the picture, which for the die is μX=3.5\mu_X = 3.5 (mu-X, the mean of X). You read shape from it the same way you read shape from data: look for symmetry, skew, and gaps.

More random variables and distributions terms, or browse the full statistics glossary.