uniform_sample

Context: modeling

Synopsis

Sample the current set of thawed parameters from a uniform distribution.

Syntax

uniform_sample([num=1, factor=4, id=None, otherids=(), numcores=None])

Sherpa includes several functions for calculating the best set of best-fit model parameters, so to speak, for a given fit of a model to a data set, in order to best determine source flux using that model. This is done by sampling model parameter values, a specified number of times, from a given distribution such as a Gaussian distribution, in order to incorporate the uncertainties on model parameter values in the fit.

The uniform_sample() function returns the fit statistic value per set of thawed model parameters sampled from the standard uniform, continuous distribution. To sample from the Gaussian or Student's t-distribution, use the normal_sample() or t_sample() function.

Arguments:

num - number of samples to calculate; default = 1
factor - multiplier to expand the parameter scale; default = 4
id - Sherpa data id; default = default data id
otherids - list of other Sherpa data ids; default = ()
numcores - number of CPUs to use to calculate the statistic; default = number of detected CPUs

The uniform_sample() command returns an array table consisting of as many rows as samples taken (determined by the 'num' setting), with the calculated fit statistic values in the first column, and the corresponding sampled model parameters in the subsequent columns.

Example 1

load_pha("source.pi")
set_source(xsphabs.abs1*powlawd1d.p1)
uniform_sample()

array([[  1.11015721e+02,   4.82266577e-03,   1.86646137e+00,
          1.96840099e-04]])

Call uniform_sample() with default settings to return the fit statistic value and model parameter values resulting from the best fit of an absorbed power-law model to default data set 1, where all thawed parameters are sampled from the standard uniform distribution.

Example 2

uniform_sample(num=50, id=2, numcores=4)

array([[  6.14073018e+01,   3.41972094e-02,   1.73555667e+00,
          1.51382694e-04],
       [  5.14768586e+01,   5.20088098e-03,   1.68554098e+00,
          1.34556679e-04],

         ...

       [  5.53023378e+01,   3.36622190e-02,   2.10473598e+00,
          1.71066495e-04],
       [  3.32604869e+02,   1.11827710e-03,   2.21907598e+00,
          2.32003881e-04]])

Return the fit statistic value and set of model parameter values resulting from the best fit of the model assigned to data set 2, for each of 50 samples drawn from the uniform distribution. Utilize 4 CPUS in the fitting to reduce the computation time.

Bugs

See the bugs pages on the Sherpa website for an up-to-date listing of known bugs.