Calculate normal distribution values
NORMDIST
The NORMDIST function returns the normal distribution for a specified mean and standard deviation. It can return either the cumulative distribution function (CDF) or the probability density function (PDF), depending on the value of the cumulative argument.
Syntax
NORMDIST(x, mean, std_dev, cumulative)Arguments
x: The value for which the distribution is calculated.mean: The arithmetic mean of the distribution.std_dev: The standard deviation of the distribution.cumulative: Specifies the type of distribution to return.TRUE: Returns the cumulative distribution function (CDF).FALSE: Returns the probability density function (PDF).
Return value
Returns the normal distribution value for the specified input based on the selected distribution type.
Example
NORMDIST(42, 40, 1.5, TRUE)Returns the cumulative normal distribution for the specified value. In this example, the function returns 0.9087.
You can use the NORMDIST function to analyze the probability of outcomes in datasets that follow a normal distribution, such as estimating the likelihood of meeting a revenue target or evaluating test scores.
Excel equivalent
NORMINV
The NORMINV function returns the inverse of the normal cumulative distribution for a specified mean and standard deviation. It calculates the value corresponding to a given probability on a normal distribution curve.
Syntax
Arguments
probability: The probability corresponding to the normal distribution.mean: The arithmetic mean of the distribution.std_dev: The standard deviation of the distribution.
Return value
Returns the value corresponding to the specified probability for the given normal distribution.
Example
Returns the value corresponding to the specified probability. In this example, the function returns 56.41.
You can use the NORMINV function to determine critical values or thresholds, such as calculating the score required to be in the top 10% of a dataset or finding the target value corresponding to a specified probability.
Excel equivalent
NORMSDIST
The NORMSDIST function returns the standard normal distribution for a specified value. It is a special case of the normal distribution where the mean is 0 and the standard deviation is 1. The function can return either the cumulative distribution function (CDF) or the probability density function (PDF), depending on the value of the cumulative argument.
Syntax
Arguments
value: The numeric value for which the distribution is calculated.cumulative: Specifies the type of distribution to return.TRUE: Returns the cumulative distribution function (CDF).FALSE: Returns the probability density function (PDF).
Return value
Returns the standard normal distribution value for the specified input based on the selected distribution type.
Example
Returns the cumulative standard normal distribution for the specified value. In this example, the function returns 0.8413.
You can use the NORMSDIST function to analyze standardized data and determine the probability or percentile of a specific outcome within a standard normal distribution.
Excel equivalent
NORMSINV
The NORMSINV function returns the inverse of the standard normal cumulative distribution. It assumes a normal distribution with a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1.
Syntax
Arguments
probability: The probability corresponding to the standard normal distribution.
Return value
Returns the value corresponding to the specified probability for the standard normal distribution.
Example
Returns the value corresponding to the specified probability. In this example, the function returns 1.28.
You can use the NORMSINV function to determine the number of standard deviations a value is from the mean. This is useful for calculating z-scores and creating standardized benchmarks to compare values across different datasets.
Excel equivalent
Last updated
Was this helpful?