Re: [boost] [math/staticstics/design] How best to namestatisticalfunctions?

From: Deane Yang (deane_yang_at_[hidden])
Date: 2006-07-12 09:59:05

Paul A Bristow wrote:
> 
> cumulative_probability is too long :-(
> 
> Do we REALLY need the cumulative here?  
> 
>      T probability(T x) const; // Cumulative Distribution Function or cdf or
> P
> 
>      T quantile(T probability) const; // Also known as Inverse cumulative
> Distribution Function

I like these suggestions. "quantile" is certainly a widely understood 
term. But isn't using "probability" for the cdf---which I like a 
lot!---straying a bit from standard terminology?

> 
> what do we call
> 
>      T complementary_cumulative_probability(T x) const; // Complementary
> Cumulative Distribution Function.  Q
> 
> 
> and worse what about Inverse Complementary Cumulative Distribution
> 
> complementary_quantile??? :-((

I think here you may need to revert back to using those "cryptic" 
suffixes. Since the possibilities are pretty limited, they won't be 
quite so cryptic anymore. So maybe something like "probability_c" for 
complementary cdf?

> 
> and the ad hoc 'extra's
> 
>      static T degrees_of_freedom(T quantile, T probability) const;
> 
> So I feel we haven't QUITE got there yet.

I agree. Nomenclature is so difficult.