Uniform Example 1

An investment company interested in purchasing a parcel of prime commercial real estate wants to describe the appraised value of the property. The company expects an appraisal of at least $500,000 but not more than $900,000. They believe that all values between $500,000 and $900,000 have the same likelihood of being the actual appraised value.

The first step in selecting a probability distribution is matching the data with a distribution’s conditions. In this case:

These conditions match those of the uniform distribution. The uniform distribution has two parameters: the Minimum ($500,000) and the Maximum ($900,000). You would enter these values as the parameters of the uniform distribution in Crystal Ball (Figure 108, Uniform Distribution).

Figure 108. Uniform Distribution

This figure displays a uniform distribution.

The distribution in Figure 108, Uniform Distribution shows that all values between $500,000 and $900,000 are equally possible.