Abstract
Special cases may require special non-equidistant but stepwise constant distributions. These could be created with this function rww().
Appendix – Rww Code
Please read my Disclaimer.
Option Explicit
Function rww(ParamArray w() As Variant) As Double
'Produces random numbers with defined widths & weights
'Rww expects a vector of n random widths and
'weightings of type double and returns a random number of type double.
'This random number will lie in the given n-width-range of the
'(0,1)-intervall with the given likelihood of the n weightings.
'Source (EN): https://www.sulprobil.de/rww_en/
'Source (DE): https://www.berndplumhoff.de/rww_de/
'(C) (P) by Bernd Plumhoff 06-Aug-2004 PB V0.50
'Examples:
'a) rww(1,0,1,1,8,0) will return a random number between 0.1 and 0.2
'b) rww(5,2,5,1) will return a random number between 0 and 0.5 twice as
' often as a random number between 0.5 and 1.
'c) rww(1/3,0,1/3,1,1/3,0) will return a random number between
' 0.33333333333333 and 0.66666666666666.
'd) rww(5,15.4,3,7.7,2,0) would return a random value between
' 0 and 0.8, first 5 deciles with double likelihood than decile 6-8.
Dim i As Long
Dim swidths As Double
Dim sw As Double
If (UBound(w) + 1) Mod 2 <> 0 Then
rww = -2 'No even number of arguments: Error
Exit Function
End If
ReDim swidthsi(0 To (UBound(w) + 1) / 2 + 1) As Double
ReDim swi(0 To (UBound(w) + 1) / 2 + 1) As Double
ReDim weights(0 To (UBound(w) + 1) / 2) As Double
ReDim widths(0 To (UBound(w) + 1) / 2) As Double
swidths = 0#
sw = 0#
swi(0) = 0#
swidthsi(0) = 0#
For i = 0 To (UBound(w) - 1) / 2
If w(2 * i) < 0# Then 'A negative width is an error
rww = -3#
Exit Function
End If
widths(i) = w(2 * i)
swidths = swidths + widths(i)
swidthsi(i + 1) = swidths
If w(2 * i + 1) < 0# Then 'A negative weight is an error
rww = -1#
Exit Function
End If
weights(i) = w(2 * i + 1)
If widths(i) > 0# Then
sw = sw + weights(i)
End If
swi(i + 1) = sw
Next i
rww = sw * Rnd
'i = (UBound(w) - 1) / 2 + 1 'i already equals (UBound(w) - 1)/2 + 1, you may omit this statement.
Do While rww < swi(i)
i = i - 1
Loop
rww = (swidthsi(i) + (rww - swi(i)) / weights(i) * widths(i)) / swidths
End Function