Cosine Distribution

The Cosine Distribution is used as a simple and a computationally alternative to the Normal Distribution.

In probability theory the von Mises distribution is a continuous distribution that is the equivalent of the Normal distribution for data defined with directional coordinates, i.e. over the range [-π,π]. It is a close approximation to the wrapped normal distribution, which is the circular analogue of the normal distribution. A freely diffusing angle on a circle is a wrapped normally distributed random variable with an unwrapped variance that grows linearly in time.

For the Cosine Distribution App three data parameters for Location (a), Scale (b) and variable (x) are input via sliders to compute PDF and CDF values and the Cosine Distribution mean and variance. The PDF and CDF values are displayed both in data table and graph forms

The PDF and CDF graphs are touch interactive graphs for computed (x/Pr(x) paired values. The graphs hav a touch feature whereby upon the touch a slidable vertical line appears. Upon movement of the line a paired (x,Pr(x) values appear relative to the line position on the graph curve.

The horizontal x-axis displays computed (x) values. The vertical y-axis plots a range of Pr(X) values.