Binomial, Poisson, and Exponential Distributions
Play with the three exam-critical distributions: binomial success counts, Poisson event counts, and exponential waiting times. Feel the bridge from discrete to continuous.
P.04 / DISCRETE + EXPONENTIAL
Discrete & Exponential Distributions
The normal is continuous and symmetric. But real data isn't always — coin flips are discrete, arrivals follow Poisson, wait times are exponential. Meet the other distributions that round out the toolkit.
The three distributions on the level-2 exam: binomial, Poisson, and exponential. Slide through success counts, event counts, and waiting times to feel the bridge between discrete and continuous.
Binomial B(n, p)
20
0.35
As n → ∞ with np → λ, the binomial approaches Poisson.
Poisson(λ)
3
As λ grows, Poisson approaches the normal distribution.
Exponential(λ) — waiting time
1
Memoryless: past waiting time tells you nothing about the future.