simtb_spm_Gpdf() - Probability Density Function (PDF) of a Gamma distribution FORMAT f = spm_Gpdf(g,h,l) x - Gamma-variate (Gamma has range [0,Inf) ) h - Shape parameter (h>0) l - Scale parameter (l>0) f - PDF of Gamma-distribution with shape & scale parameters h & l _______________________________________________________________________ spm_Gpdf implements the Probability Density Function of the Gamma distribution. Definition: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- The PDF of the Gamma distribution with shape parameter h and scale l is defined for h>0 & l>0 and for x in [0,Inf) by: (See Evans et al., Ch18, but note that this reference uses the alternative parameterisation of the Gamma with scale parameter c=1/l) l^h * x^(h-1) exp(-lx) f(x) = --------------------- gamma(h) Variate relationships: (Evans et al., Ch18 & Ch8) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- For natural (strictly +ve integer) shape h this is an Erlang distribution. The Standard Gamma distribution has a single parameter, the shape h. The scale taken as l=1. The Chi-squared distribution with v degrees of freedom is equivalent to the Gamma distribution with scale parameter 1/2 and shape parameter v/2. Algorithm: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Direct computation using logs to avoid roundoff errors. References: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Evans M, Hastings N, Peacock B (1993) "Statistical Distributions" 2nd Ed. Wiley, New York Abramowitz M, Stegun IA, (1964) "Handbook of Mathematical Functions" US Government Printing Office Press WH, Teukolsky SA, Vetterling AT, Flannery BP (1992) "Numerical Recipes in C" Cambridge _______________________________________________________________________ Copyright (C) 2005 Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience