tf.compat.v1.distributions.Distribution

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A generic probability distribution base class.

tf.compat.v1.distributions.Distribution(
    dtype, reparameterization_type, validate_args, allow_nan_stats, parameters=None,
    graph_parents=None, name=None
)

Distribution is a base class for constructing and organizing properties (e.g., mean, variance) of random variables (e.g, Bernoulli, Gaussian).

Subclassing

Subclasses are expected to implement a leading-underscore version of the same-named function. The argument signature should be identical except for the omission of name="...". For example, to enable log_prob(value, name="log_prob") a subclass should implement _log_prob(value).

Subclasses can append to public-level docstrings by providing docstrings for their method specializations. For example:

@util.AppendDocstring("Some other details.")
def _log_prob(self, value):
  ...

would add the string "Some other details." to the log_prob function docstring. This is implemented as a simple decorator to avoid python linter complaining about missing Args/Returns/Raises sections in the partial docstrings.

Broadcasting, batching, and shapes

All distributions support batches of independent distributions of that type. The batch shape is determined by broadcasting together the parameters.

The shape of arguments to __init__, cdf, log_cdf, prob, and log_prob reflect this broadcasting, as does the return value of sample and sample_n.

sample_n_shape = [n] + batch_shape + event_shape, where sample_n_shape is the shape of the Tensor returned from sample_n, n is the number of samples, batch_shape defines how many independent distributions there are, and event_shape defines the shape of samples from each of those independent distributions. Samples are independent along the batch_shape dimensions, but not necessarily so along the event_shape dimensions (depending on the particulars of the underlying distribution).

Using the Uniform distribution as an example:

minval = 3.0
maxval = [[4.0, 6.0],
          [10.0, 12.0]]

# Broadcasting:
# This instance represents 4 Uniform distributions. Each has a lower bound at
# 3.0 as the `minval` parameter was broadcasted to match `maxval`'s shape.
u = Uniform(minval, maxval)

# `event_shape` is `TensorShape([])`.
event_shape = u.event_shape
# `event_shape_t` is a `Tensor` which will evaluate to [].
event_shape_t = u.event_shape_tensor()

# Sampling returns a sample per distribution. `samples` has shape
# [5, 2, 2], which is [n] + batch_shape + event_shape, where n=5,
# batch_shape=[2, 2], and event_shape=[].
samples = u.sample_n(5)

# The broadcasting holds across methods. Here we use `cdf` as an example. The
# same holds for `log_cdf` and the likelihood functions.

# `cum_prob` has shape [2, 2] as the `value` argument was broadcasted to the
# shape of the `Uniform` instance.
cum_prob_broadcast = u.cdf(4.0)

# `cum_prob`'s shape is [2, 2], one per distribution. No broadcasting
# occurred.
cum_prob_per_dist = u.cdf([[4.0, 5.0],
                           [6.0, 7.0]])

# INVALID as the `value` argument is not broadcastable to the distribution's
# shape.
cum_prob_invalid = u.cdf([4.0, 5.0, 6.0])

Shapes

There are three important concepts associated with TensorFlow Distributions shapes: - Event shape describes the shape of a single draw from the distribution; it may be dependent across dimensions. For scalar distributions, the event shape is []. For a 5-dimensional MultivariateNormal, the event shape is [5]. - Batch shape describes independent, not identically distributed draws, aka a "collection" or "bunch" of distributions. - Sample shape describes independent, identically distributed draws of batches from the distribution family.

The event shape and the batch shape are properties of a Distribution object, whereas the sample shape is associated with a specific call to sample or log_prob.

For detailed usage examples of TensorFlow Distributions shapes, see this tutorial

Parameter values leading to undefined statistics or distributions.

Some distributions do not have well-defined statistics for all initialization parameter values. For example, the beta distribution is parameterized by positive real numbers concentration1 and concentration0, and does not have well-defined mode if concentration1 < 1 or concentration0 < 1.

The user is given the option of raising an exception or returning NaN.

a = tf.exp(tf.matmul(logits, weights_a))
b = tf.exp(tf.matmul(logits, weights_b))

# Will raise exception if ANY batch member has a < 1 or b < 1.
dist = distributions.beta(a, b, allow_nan_stats=False)
mode = dist.mode().eval()

# Will return NaN for batch members with either a < 1 or b < 1.
dist = distributions.beta(a, b, allow_nan_stats=True)  # Default behavior
mode = dist.mode().eval()

In all cases, an exception is raised if invalid parameters are passed, e.g.

# Will raise an exception if any Op is run.
negative_a = -1.0 * a  # beta distribution by definition has a > 0.
dist = distributions.beta(negative_a, b, allow_nan_stats=True)
dist.mean().eval()

Args:

Attributes:

Raises:

Methods

batch_shape_tensor

View source

batch_shape_tensor(
    name='batch_shape_tensor'
)

Shape of a single sample from a single event index as a 1-D Tensor.

The batch dimensions are indexes into independent, non-identical parameterizations of this distribution.

Args:

Returns:

cdf

View source

cdf(
    value, name='cdf'
)

Cumulative distribution function.

Given random variable X, the cumulative distribution function cdf is:

cdf(x) := P[X <= x]

Args:

Returns:

copy

View source

copy(
    **override_parameters_kwargs
)

Creates a deep copy of the distribution.

Note: the copy distribution may continue to depend on the original initialization arguments.

Args:

Returns:

covariance

View source

covariance(
    name='covariance'
)

Covariance.

Covariance is (possibly) defined only for non-scalar-event distributions.

For example, for a length-k, vector-valued distribution, it is calculated as,

Cov[i, j] = Covariance(X_i, X_j) = E[(X_i - E[X_i]) (X_j - E[X_j])]

where Cov is a (batch of) k x k matrix, 0 <= (i, j) < k, and E denotes expectation.

Alternatively, for non-vector, multivariate distributions (e.g., matrix-valued, Wishart), Covariance shall return a (batch of) matrices under some vectorization of the events, i.e.,

Cov[i, j] = Covariance(Vec(X)_i, Vec(X)_j) = [as above]

where Cov is a (batch of) k' x k' matrices, 0 <= (i, j) < k' = reduce_prod(event_shape), and Vec is some function mapping indices of this distribution's event dimensions to indices of a length-k' vector.

Args:

Returns:

cross_entropy

View source

cross_entropy(
    other, name='cross_entropy'
)

Computes the (Shannon) cross entropy.

Denote this distribution (self) by P and the other distribution by Q. Assuming P, Q are absolutely continuous with respect to one another and permit densities p(x) dr(x) and q(x) dr(x), (Shanon) cross entropy is defined as:

H[P, Q] = E_p[-log q(X)] = -int_F p(x) log q(x) dr(x)

where F denotes the support of the random variable X ~ P.

Args:

Returns:

entropy

View source

entropy(
    name='entropy'
)

Shannon entropy in nats.

event_shape_tensor

View source

event_shape_tensor(
    name='event_shape_tensor'
)

Shape of a single sample from a single batch as a 1-D int32 Tensor.

Args:

Returns:

is_scalar_batch

View source

is_scalar_batch(
    name='is_scalar_batch'
)

Indicates that batch_shape == [].

Args:

Returns:

is_scalar_event

View source

is_scalar_event(
    name='is_scalar_event'
)

Indicates that event_shape == [].

Args:

Returns:

kl_divergence

View source

kl_divergence(
    other, name='kl_divergence'
)

Computes the Kullback--Leibler divergence.

Denote this distribution (self) by p and the other distribution by q. Assuming p, q are absolutely continuous with respect to reference measure r, the KL divergence is defined as:

KL[p, q] = E_p[log(p(X)/q(X))]
         = -int_F p(x) log q(x) dr(x) + int_F p(x) log p(x) dr(x)
         = H[p, q] - H[p]

where F denotes the support of the random variable X ~ p, H[., .] denotes (Shanon) cross entropy, and H[.] denotes (Shanon) entropy.

Args:

Returns:

log_cdf

View source

log_cdf(
    value, name='log_cdf'
)

Log cumulative distribution function.

Given random variable X, the cumulative distribution function cdf is:

log_cdf(x) := Log[ P[X <= x] ]

Often, a numerical approximation can be used for log_cdf(x) that yields a more accurate answer than simply taking the logarithm of the cdf when x << -1.

Args:

Returns:

log_prob

View source

log_prob(
    value, name='log_prob'
)

Log probability density/mass function.

Args:

Returns:

log_survival_function

View source

log_survival_function(
    value, name='log_survival_function'
)

Log survival function.

Given random variable X, the survival function is defined:

log_survival_function(x) = Log[ P[X > x] ]
                         = Log[ 1 - P[X <= x] ]
                         = Log[ 1 - cdf(x) ]

Typically, different numerical approximations can be used for the log survival function, which are more accurate than 1 - cdf(x) when x >> 1.

Args:

Returns:

Tensor of shape sample_shape(x) + self.batch_shape with values of type self.dtype.

mean

View source

mean(
    name='mean'
)

Mean.

mode

View source

mode(
    name='mode'
)

Mode.

param_shapes

View source

@classmethod
param_shapes(
    sample_shape, name='DistributionParamShapes'
)

Shapes of parameters given the desired shape of a call to sample().

This is a class method that describes what key/value arguments are required to instantiate the given Distribution so that a particular shape is returned for that instance's call to sample().

Subclasses should override class method _param_shapes.

Args:

Returns:

dict of parameter name to Tensor shapes.

param_static_shapes

View source

@classmethod
param_static_shapes(
    sample_shape
)

param_shapes with static (i.e. TensorShape) shapes.

This is a class method that describes what key/value arguments are required to instantiate the given Distribution so that a particular shape is returned for that instance's call to sample(). Assumes that the sample's shape is known statically.

Subclasses should override class method _param_shapes to return constant-valued tensors when constant values are fed.

Args:

Returns:

dict of parameter name to TensorShape.

Raises:

prob

View source

prob(
    value, name='prob'
)

Probability density/mass function.

Args:

Returns:

quantile

View source

quantile(
    value, name='quantile'
)

Quantile function. Aka "inverse cdf" or "percent point function".

Given random variable X and p in [0, 1], the quantile is:

quantile(p) := x such that P[X <= x] == p

Args:

Returns:

sample

View source

sample(
    sample_shape=(), seed=None, name='sample'
)

Generate samples of the specified shape.

Note that a call to sample() without arguments will generate a single sample.

Args:

Returns:

stddev

View source

stddev(
    name='stddev'
)

Standard deviation.

Standard deviation is defined as,

stddev = E[(X - E[X])**2]**0.5

where X is the random variable associated with this distribution, E denotes expectation, and stddev.shape = batch_shape + event_shape.

Args:

Returns:

survival_function

View source

survival_function(
    value, name='survival_function'
)

Survival function.

Given random variable X, the survival function is defined:

survival_function(x) = P[X > x]
                     = 1 - P[X <= x]
                     = 1 - cdf(x).

Args:

Returns:

Tensor of shape sample_shape(x) + self.batch_shape with values of type self.dtype.

variance

View source

variance(
    name='variance'
)

Variance.

Variance is defined as,

Var = E[(X - E[X])**2]

where X is the random variable associated with this distribution, E denotes expectation, and Var.shape = batch_shape + event_shape.

Args:

Returns: