benprob: Generate random numbers based on the Benford distribution

In FunWithNumbers: Fun with Fractions and Number Sequences

Generate random numbers based on the Benford distribution

Description

This function produces numbers whose distribution is based on Benford's Law of the occurrence of the values 1 through 9 in the first digit of numbers.

Usage

benprob(numsamp = 100, numbase = 10)

Arguments

numsamp	How many values to generate.
numbase	Specify the base system (binary, octal, decimal, or whatever is desired) in which to apply the Benford distribution. The default is "10," i.e. decimal.

Details

"Benford's Law," https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benford%27s_law can be used to assess the "true" randomness of demographic data. Probably its most well-known use has been to detect fraudulent patterns in voting and investment returns claimed by various fund operators. The probability function is prob(d) = log(d+1) - log(d), where d can take on the values 1:(log_base_in_use -1) .The data generated with this function can be used to calculate various statistics such as variance, skew, etc., which can then be compared with the real-world sample set being analyzed.

Value

A vector of random values.

Author(s)

Carl Witthoft, [e-mail]

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benford%27s_law https://projecteuclid.org/euclid.ss/1177009869/

Examples

samps <- benprob(1000)
 sd(samps)
 hist(samps)

FunWithNumbers documentation built on Aug. 29, 2023, 1:06 a.m.