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Statistical function
PROB
Returns the probability that values in a range fall between two limits.
Rarely usedDifficulty 1400 · AdvancedUsage rank #357 of 520
When to use it
The probability that a value from a discrete distribution falls in a range, given the values and their probabilities.
The shape of it
- Syntax
=PROB(x_range, prob_range, [lower_limit], [upper_limit])
Worked examples
One value
=PROB({1,2,3,4},{0.1,0.2,0.3,0.4},3) → 0.3
Probability of exactly 3.
A range
=PROB({1,2,3,4},{0.1,0.2,0.3,0.4},2,3) → 0.5
Probability of 2 through 3.
Everything
=PROB({1,2,3,4},{0.1,0.2,0.3,0.4},1,4) → 1
The whole distribution.
Worth knowing
- Probabilities must add to 1.
- Handy for scenario tables: outcomes in one column, weights in the next.
- SUMIFS over the probability column does the same for ranges.
Where it goes wrong
- #NUM! when the probabilities do not sum to 1 or any is outside 0 to 1.
- #N/A when the two ranges differ in size.
Related
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