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Alias method
open-in-new
<p>In <a href="/facts/Computing/Kghtm9fX">computing</a>, the alias method is a family of efficient <a href="/facts/Algorithm/fnl5NmRt">algorithms</a> for <a href="/facts/Non-uniform_random_variate_generation/xIkyQJqu">sampling from a discrete probability distribution</a>, published in 1974 by Alastair J. Walker. That is, it returns integer values 1 ≤ <i>i</i> ≤ <i>n</i> according to some arbitrary <a href="/facts/Discrete_probability_distribution/EpsKKVRu">discrete probability distribution</a> pi. The algorithms typically use <i>O</i>(<i>n</i> log <i>n</i>) or <i>O</i>(<i>n</i>) preprocessing time, after which random values can be drawn from the distribution in <i>O</i>(1) time. </p>