[Tutor] What is random.triangular() used for

[Dave Angel]

On 2:59 PM, Richard D. Moores wrote:
> On Sun, Oct 24, 2010 at 13:29, Emile van Sebille<emile at fenx.com>  wrote:
>
>>  From people who would know found at
>> http://docs.scipy.org/doc/numpy/reference/generated/numpy.random.triangular.html
>>
>>
>> """The triangular distribution is often used in ill-defined problems where
>> the underlying distribution is not known, but some knowledge of the limits
>> and mode exists. Often it is used in simulations."""
> Emile,
>
> from the source code link on that page, I got
>
> # Draw values from the distribution and plot the histogram:
>
> import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
> h = plt.hist(np.random.triangular(-3, 0, 8, 100000), bins=200,
>               normed=True)
> plt.show()
>
> Which when I run it I get
> Traceback (most recent call last):
>    File "c:\P26Working\untitled-8.py", line 2, in<module>
>      h = plt.hist(np.random.triangular(-3, 0, 8, 100000), bins=200, normed=True)
> NameError: name 'np' is not defined
> Process terminated with an exit code of 1
>
> The import goes OK:
>
>>>> import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
>>>>
> and apparently I have numpy, if that's relevant:
>>>> import numpy
>>>>
> but where do I get np?
>
> Dick
>
import numpy as np

see 
http://matplotlib.sourceforge.net/plot_directive/mpl_examples/pylab_examples/histogram_demo.py
for one example.  I don't know anything about matplotlib as a whole, 
this was just a lucky shot

DaveA