On 11 Dec 2003, Douglas Bates wrote: > "Christian Mora" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > > > How can I get the mode (most frequent value) from a dataset (continuos > > variables)? I can obtain it when the data is discrete (by making a table > > and looking at the higher frequency) but I don't know how obtain it > > from, for example, a density plot of the data. Does anyone know how to > > do it? Thanks > > I don't think the mode of a sample from a continuous random variable is well > defined.
I agree, but one might take the viewpoint that if this were assumed to be an iid sample from a unimodal distribution, can one estimate the mode? Or if from a bi-, tri- modal etc can one estimate the number and position of the modes? There is quite a lot of work on those problems: here is a link to one approach: http://www.isi-2003.de/guest/3112.pdf?MItabObj=pcoabstract&MIcolObj=uploadpaper&MInamObj=id&MIvalObj=3112&MItypeObj=application/pdf -- Brian D. Ripley, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Professor of Applied Statistics, http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/~ripley/ University of Oxford, Tel: +44 1865 272861 (self) 1 South Parks Road, +44 1865 272866 (PA) Oxford OX1 3TG, UK Fax: +44 1865 272595 ______________________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] mailing list https://www.stat.math.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
