The Geometric and the Bradford Distributions: A Comparison
Author(s)
Morse, Philip M., 1903-
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Both the geometric and the Bradford probability distributions are used to describe collections of items of interest in information science. Each unit item has a productivity, an integer n measuring the amount of use of the item. The cumulative fraction Fn of items with productivity equal to n or greates may be expressed as a function of n or else as a function of the cumulative mean productivity Gn of items with productivity equal to n or greater. If Fn is an exponential function of n, the distribution is geometric; if it is an exponential function of Gn, it is a Bradford distribution. The exact solution of Fn as a function of n for the Bradford distribution is computed; the results are tabulated. Graphs are given, comparing the two distributions, and their relative usefulness is discussed.
Date issued
1976-02Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Operations Research Center
Series/Report no.
Operations Research Center Working Paper;OR 049-76