Overview
Distribution Lab shows 18 probability distributions interactively β as preparation for GLMs and Bayesian models in brms. Which distribution fits which data? For each distribution: description, use cases, parameter explanation, brms usage and technical details.
Navigation
Category tabs (top) select the distribution group.
Distribution buttons below select the specific distribution.
Sliders on the left adjust parameters in real time.
Lock x-axis
X lock button (topbar): Freezes the x-axis so that when changing parameters (e.g. ΞΌ or Ο) the shape change is directly visible β instead of the axis rescaling. Resets automatically when switching distributions.
Distribution relationships
β Relations button opens an overview map of all distributions and their connections: special cases, limits, constructions. Orientation in the distribution zoo.
Moments
Mean (blue),
Median (green),
Mode (orange) as vertical dashed lines. Each moment independently toggleable.
brms parametrisation
For
Gamma and
Beta: toggle between brms (ΞΌ, Ο) and classical (Ξ±, Ξ²). Automatic conversion. The brms parametrisation is more intuitive: you set the mean directly.
The
"Usage in brms" section shows for each distribution: as likelihood (family syntax, link) and as prior (prior() syntax) β including typical parametrisations.
Mixed distributions
ZI-Beta and
ZOIB: point masses at 0/1 as red bars, Beta component as curve.
Discrete distributions
Bar chart of the PMF. Mode = tallest bar.