We deliver solutions for the AI eraâcombining symbolic computation, data-driven insights and deep technology expertise.
NormalDistribution[μ,σ]
represents a normal (Gaussian) distribution with mean μ and standard deviation σ.
represents a normal distribution with zero mean and unit standard deviation.
Details Background & ContextCumulative distribution function:
Scope (7)Generate a sample of pseudorandom numbers from a normal distribution:
Compare its histogram to the PDF:
Distribution parameters estimation:
Estimate the distribution parameters from sample data:
Compare the density histogram of the sample with the PDF of the estimated distribution:
Skewness and kurtosis are constant:
Different moments with closed forms as functions of parameters:
Closed form for symbolic order:
Closed form for symbolic order:
Closed form for symbolic order:
Hazard function of a normal distribution is increasing:
Consistent use of Quantity in parameters yields QuantityDistribution:
Applications (11)Find the percentage of values that lie between and :
Compute ‐values for a ‐test under the null hypothesis and the alternative :
A battery has a lifetime that is approximately normally distributed with a mean of 1000 hours and a standard deviation of 50 hours. Find the fraction with a lifetime between 800 and 1000 hours:
Out of 100 batteries, compute how many have a lifetime between 800 and 1000 hours:
Coffee beans are sold in 5 lb sacks that have true weight normally distributed with a mean of 5 lbs and a variance of 0.01 lb. Find the probability that a given sack weighs at least 4 lbs, 15 oz:
This can be directly computed from the SurvivalFunction:
A company manufactures nails with length normally distributed, mean 0.497 inches, and standard deviation 0.002 inches. Find the fraction that satisfies the specification of length equal to 0.5 inches plus/minus 0.004 inches:
Direct computation with CDF:
A company manufactures nails with length normally distributed and a mean of 0.5 inches. If 50% of the produced nails have lengths between 0.495 and 0.505, find the standard deviation:
A sample is selected from a distribution with mean 5 and standard deviation 1.5. Find the minimum size of the sample so that with probability 0.97 the sample mean is within 0.8 of the distribution mean:
The probability as a function of sample size:
Find the minimum sample size :
The weight of a person, including luggage, has normal distribution with mean 225 lbs and standard deviation 50 lbs. A plane's load limit is 10000 lbs and it can take 44 passengers. With the maximum number of passengers on board, find the probability of the plane being overloaded:
Normally distributed points in the plane:
Normally distributed points in 3D:
Normal distribution was traditionally used to analyze the fractional stock price changes from the previous closing price. Find the estimated distribution for the daily fractional price changes of the S&P 500 index from January 1, 2000, to January 1, 2009:
The range of fractional prices falls within the range of the normal distribution:
Compare the histogram of the data with the PDF of the estimated distribution:
Find the probability of the fractional price change being greater than 0.5%:
Find the mean fractional price change:
Simulate fractional price changes for 30 days:
Show that using LogisticDistribution provides better fit than using normal distribution:
Generate Gaussian white noise:
Properties & Relations (36)Normal distribution is closed under translation and scaling:
In general, affine transformations of independent normals are normal:
Normal distribution is closed under addition:
The normal distribution is symmetric about its mean:
Parameter mixture of a normal distribution with a normal distribution is again a normal distribution:
Relationships to other distributions:
Normal (SN) JohnsonDistribution is a normal distribution:
StudentTDistribution goes to a normal distribution as goes to :
Normal distribution is a transformation of LogNormalDistribution:
The inverse transformation of normal distribution yields LogNormalDistribution:
HalfNormalDistribution is a truncated normal distribution:
The normal and half-normal distributions:
HalfNormalDistribution is a transformation of normal distribution:
HalfNormalDistribution is a transformation of normal distribution:
NormalDistribution is a special case of ExponentialPowerDistribution:
Normal distribution is a special case of SkewNormalDistribution with shape parameter :
SkewNormalDistribution is a transformation of normal distribution:
Sum of squares of standard normally distributed variables follows ChiSquareDistribution:
Sum of squares of normally distributed variables has NoncentralChiSquareDistribution:
The norm of standard normally distributed variables follows ChiDistribution:
The norm of three standard normal variables has MaxwellDistribution, a case of ChiDistribution:
The norm of two standard normally distributed variables follows RayleighDistribution:
The norm of two normally distributed variables follows RiceDistribution:
NormalDistribution is the limiting case of HyperbolicDistribution of for and :
If , , , and are independent and normal, then has LaplaceDistribution:
Confirm via equality of CharacteristicFunction:
If , , , and are independent and normal, then has LaplaceDistribution:
Confirm via equality of CharacteristicFunction:
Ratio of two normally distributed variables has CauchyDistribution:
Square of a normally distributed variable is a special case of GammaDistribution, and also of ChiSquareDistribution:
LaplaceDistribution is a parameter mixture of a normal distribution with RayleighDistribution:
StudentTDistribution is a parameter mixture of a normal distribution with GammaDistribution:
LevyDistribution is a transformation of a normal distribution:
Normal distribution is a special case of type 3 PearsonDistribution:
Normal distribution is a StableDistribution:
Normal distribution is the marginal distribution of BinormalDistribution:
Normal distribution is the marginal distribution of MultinormalDistribution:
NormalDistribution can be obtained from MultinormalDistribution:
StudentTDistribution can be obtained from NormalDistribution and ChiSquareDistribution:
NoncentralStudentTDistribution can be obtained from NormalDistribution and ChiSquareDistribution:
VarianceGammaDistribution can be obtained from GammaDistribution and normal distribution:
Possible Issues (2)NormalDistribution is not defined when μ is not a real number:
NormalDistribution is not defined when σ is not a positive real number:
Substitution of invalid parameters into symbolic outputs gives results that are not meaningful:
Neat Examples (1)PDFs for different σ values with CDF contours:
Wolfram Research (2007), NormalDistribution, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/NormalDistribution.html (updated 2016). TextWolfram Research (2007), NormalDistribution, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/NormalDistribution.html (updated 2016).
CMSWolfram Language. 2007. "NormalDistribution." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2016. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/NormalDistribution.html.
APAWolfram Language. (2007). NormalDistribution. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/NormalDistribution.html
BibTeX@misc{reference.wolfram_2025_normaldistribution, author="Wolfram Research", title="{NormalDistribution}", year="2016", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/NormalDistribution.html}", note=[Accessed: 12-July-2025 ]}
BibLaTeX@online{reference.wolfram_2025_normaldistribution, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={NormalDistribution}, year={2016}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/NormalDistribution.html}, note=[Accessed: 12-July-2025 ]}
RetroSearch is an open source project built by @garambo | Open a GitHub Issue
Search and Browse the WWW like it's 1997 | Search results from DuckDuckGo
HTML:
3.2
| Encoding:
UTF-8
| Version:
0.7.4