BETA.DIST

• How to use BETA.DIST formula?
• Examples of using BETA.DIST formula
• BETA.DIST formula not working?
• Similar formulas to BETA.DIST

Usage

Use the BETA.DIST formula with the syntax shown below, it has 3 required parameters and 3 optional parameters:

=BETA.DIST(value, alpha, beta, cumulative, lower_bound, upper_bound)

1. value (required):
   The value at which to evaluate the beta distribution.
2. alpha (required):
   The alpha parameter of the beta distribution, which controls the shape of the distribution. Must be greater than 0.
3. beta (required):
   The beta parameter of the beta distribution, which controls the shape of the distribution. Must be greater than 0.
4. cumulative (optional):
   A boolean value that determines whether to return the cumulative distribution function or the probability density function. If true, returns the cumulative distribution function. If false or omitted, returns the probability density function.
5. lower_bound (optional):
   The lower bound of the beta distribution, which defaults to 0 if not specified. Must be between 0 and 1, inclusive.
6. upper_bound (optional):
   The upper bound of the beta distribution, which defaults to 1 if not specified. Must be between 0 and 1, inclusive.

Examples

Calculating the probability of a value falling between two bounds

By using the BETA.DIST function with the cumulative parameter set to true, you can calculate the probability of a value falling between two bounds in a beta distribution. This is useful when analyzing data that is continuous and bounded between 0 and 1, such as probabilities or proportions.

Modeling the distribution of data

The beta distribution is commonly used to model data that is continuous and bounded between 0 and 1. By using the BETA.DIST function, you can calculate the probability density function or cumulative distribution function of a beta distribution, which can help you understand the distribution of your data.

Generating random values from a beta distribution

By using the RAND function with the BETA.DIST function, you can generate random values from a beta distribution with a specified shape. This can be useful for simulating data or testing statistical models.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect use of cumulative argument

Users often misunderstand the cumulative argument as a true/false statement for whether the distribution is cumulative. In reality, it is a value that indicates whether to calculate the cumulative distribution (1) or the probability density function (0). Make sure to use the correct value for your desired calculation.

Incorrect use of lower and upper bounds

Users often incorrectly input the lower and upper bounds as the first two arguments, rather than the last two. Make sure to input the lower and upper bounds as the last two arguments, and leave them blank if they are not needed for your calculation.

Incorrect use of alpha and beta arguments

Users often misunderstand the alpha and beta arguments as the mean and standard deviation, respectively. In reality, they are the shape parameters for the beta distribution. Make sure to input the correct values for alpha and beta, and consult the documentation for guidance if needed.

Incorrect use of value argument

Users often input the wrong value for the value argument, such as an array or range rather than a single value. Make sure to input the correct value for your desired calculation.

Incorrect input types

Users often input non-numeric values for the value, alpha, or beta arguments, or non-boolean values for the cumulative argument. Make sure to input the correct data types for your desired calculation.

Related Formulas

The following functions are similar to BETA.DIST or are often used with it in a formula:

• BETA.INV

  The BETA.INV function returns the inverse of the cumulative distribution function for a specified beta distribution with parameters alpha and beta. This function is commonly used in statistical analysis to find the value at which a specified probability occurs within a beta distribution. The function takes in the probability and the values for alpha, beta, lower bound, and upper bound to calculate the inverse function.

• GAMMA.DIST

  The GAMMA.DIST function calculates the gamma distribution probability for a specified x value, alpha and beta parameters. This function is often used in statistics to model continuous data that is skewed to the right. It can be used to analyze data in various fields such as finance, engineering, and social sciences.

• NORM.DIST

  The NORM.DIST formula is a statistical function that returns the normal distribution of a specified variable. It is used to determine the probability of a random variable falling within a specified range of values. This function is commonly used in finance and scientific research.

• POISSON.DIST

  The POISSON.DIST function calculates the Poisson distribution, which is a statistical distribution that shows how many times an event is likely to occur within a specified period of time, given the average rate of occurrence. This function is commonly used in probability theory to model the number of times an event occurs in a fixed interval of time or space. The resulting value represents the probability of the event occurring a certain number of times. If the cumulative argument is set to TRUE (or omitted), the function returns the cumulative distribution function; if set to FALSE, it returns the probability density function.

Learn More

You can learn more about the BETA.DIST Google Sheets function on Google Support.