← Statistics for Data Science learning pathStatistics for Data Science · Module 4 of 10
Probability distributions
Model data with common distributions.
📖 Key ideas
- A distribution shows how values are spread.
- Normal distribution: bell-shaped, symmetric, defined by mean and SD.
- 68-95-99.7 rule: within 1, 2, 3 SDs of the mean.
- Binomial: number of successes in n trials.
- Poisson: counts of events in a fixed interval.
💡 Real-life example: The normal curve is a hill: most people stand near the top (average), few at the edges.
Normal distributionBell-shaped symmetric distribution
BinomialSuccesses in fixed trials
PoissonEvent counts per interval
Z-scoreNumber of SDs from the mean