As an instance of the rv_continuous class, trapezoid object inherits from it
a collection of generic methods (see below for the full list),
and completes them with details specific for this particular distribution.
Expected value of a function (of one argument) with respect to the distribution.
median(c, d, loc=0, scale=1)
Median of the distribution.
mean(c, d, loc=0, scale=1)
Mean of the distribution.
var(c, d, loc=0, scale=1)
Variance of the distribution.
std(c, d, loc=0, scale=1)
Standard deviation of the distribution.
interval(confidence, c, d, loc=0, scale=1)
Confidence interval with equal areas around the median.
Notes
The trapezoidal distribution can be represented with an up-sloping line
from loc to (loc+c*scale), then constant to (loc+d*scale)
and then downsloping from (loc+d*scale) to (loc+scale). This
defines the trapezoid base from loc to (loc+scale) and the flat
top from c to d proportional to the position along the base
with 0<=c<=d<=1. When c=d, this is equivalent to triang
with the same values for loc, scale and c.
The method of [1] is used for computing moments.
trapezoid takes \(c\) and \(d\) as shape parameters.
The probability density above is defined in the "standardized" form. To shift
and/or scale the distribution use the loc and scale parameters.
Specifically, trapezoid.pdf(x,c,d,loc,scale) is identically
equivalent to trapezoid.pdf(y,c,d)/scale with
y=(x-loc)/scale. Note that shifting the location of a distribution
does not make it a "noncentral" distribution; noncentral generalizations of
some distributions are available in separate classes.
The standard form is in the range [0, 1] with c the mode.
The location parameter shifts the start to loc.
The scale parameter changes the width from 1 to scale.
Kacker, R.N. and Lawrence, J.F. (2007). Trapezoidal and triangular
distributions for Type B evaluation of standard uncertainty.
Metrologia 44, 117-127. DOI:10.1088/0026-1394/44/2/003
Alternatively, the distribution object can be called (as a function)
to fix the shape, location and scale parameters. This returns a "frozen"
RV object holding the given parameters fixed.
Freeze the distribution and display the frozen pdf: