AI engineering glossary · Probability
What is marginal distribution?
Marginal distribution: The distribution of one variable alone, obtained from a joint distribution by summing or integrating out all the other variables. It ignores what the others are doing. It answers questions about that variable when the others are of no interest.
Marginal distribution: an example
Adding across the 'purchased or not' columns of the device-and-purchase table leaves the distribution of device type.
Related terms
More Probability terms
- Marginal probability
- Markov chain
- Markov chain Monte Carlo
- Markov property
- Markov's inequality
- Maximum likelihood estimation
- Median
- Memoryless property
Where you learn it
Marginal distribution is part of the AI Engineering Program, which teaches it with notes, a hands-on lab and an exam. The first lesson is free.