Confidence Limits for Small Numbers of Events in Astrophysical Data
Abstract
The calculation of limits for small numbers of astronomical counts is based on standard equations derived from Poisson and binomial statistics; although the equations are straightforward, their direct use is cumbersome and involves both table-interpolations and several mathematical operations. Convenient tables and approximate formulae are here presented for confidence limits which are based on such Poisson and binomial statistics. The limits in the tables are given for all confidence levels commonly used in astrophysics.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- April 1986
- DOI:
- 10.1086/164079
- Bibcode:
- 1986ApJ...303..336G
- Keywords:
-
- Astrophysics;
- Binomial Theorem;
- Confidence Limits;
- Data Processing;
- Poisson Density Functions;
- Approximation;
- Tables (Data);
- Astrophysics;
- NUMERICAL METHODS