# Probability distribution

mathematical function that describes the probability of occurrence of different possible outcomes in an experiment
The normal distribution, often called the "bell curve"

Probability distribution is a term from mathematics. Suppose there are many events with random outcomes. A probability distribution is the theoretical counterpart to the frequency distribution. A frequency distribution simply shows how many times a certain event occurred. A probability distribution says how many times it should have occurred. For example, the probability distribution for a single roll of a normal 6-sided dice can be presented by:

 Result Probability of result ${\displaystyle 1}$ ${\displaystyle 2}$ ${\displaystyle 3}$ ${\displaystyle 4}$ ${\displaystyle 5}$ ${\displaystyle 6}$ ${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{6}}}$ ${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{6}}}$ ${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{6}}}$ ${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{6}}}$ ${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{6}}}$ ${\displaystyle {\frac {1}{6}}}$

Where result is the outcome of the dice roll, and the probability shows the chances of that result occurring. If we roll a dice 60 times, we should have each side appear 10 times.

There are different probability distributions. Each of them has its use, its benefits, and its drawbacks.

Common ones are: