python · rhettinger · Mar 7, 2019 · Mar 3, 2019 · Mar 3, 2019 · Mar 3, 2019
diff --git a/Doc/library/statistics.rst b/Doc/library/statistics.rst
@@ -549,6 +549,28 @@ of applications in statistics, including simulations and hypothesis testing.
        compute the probability that a random variable *X* will be less than or
        equal to *x*.  Mathematically, it is written ``P(X <= x)``.
 
+    .. method:: NormalDist.overlap(other)
+
+       Compute the `overlapping coefficient (OVL)
+       <http://www.iceaaonline.com/ready/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/MM-9-Presentation-Meet-the-Overlapping-Coefficient-A-Measure-for-Elevator-Speeches.pdf>`_
+       between two normal distributions.
+
+       Measures the agreement between two normal probability distributions.
+       Returns a value between 0.0 and 1.0 giving the overlapping area for
+       two probability density functions.
+
+       In this `example from John M. Linacre
+       <https://www.rasch.org/rmt/rmt101r.htm>`_ about 80% of each
+       distribution overlaps the other:
+
+       .. doctest::
+
+           >>> N1 = NormalDist(2.4, 1.6)
+           >>> N2 = NormalDist(3.2, 2.0)
+           >>> ovl = N1.overlap(N2)
+           >>> f'{ovl * 100.0 :.1f}%'
+           '80.4%'
+
     Instances of :class:`NormalDist` support addition, subtraction,
     multiplication and division by a constant.  These operations
     are used for translation and scaling.  For example:
@@ -595,6 +617,16 @@ determine the percentage of students with scores between 1100 and 1200:
     >>> f'{fraction * 100 :.1f}% score between 1100 and 1200'
     '18.2% score between 1100 and 1200'
 
+What percentage of men and women will have the same height in `two normally
+distributed populations with known means and standard deviations
+<http://www.usablestats.com/lessons/normal>`_?
+
+    >>> men = NormalDist(70, 4)
+    >>> women = NormalDist(65, 3.5)
+    >>> ovl = men.overlap(women)
+    >>> round(ovl * 100.0, 1)
+    50.3
+
 To estimate the distribution for a model than isn't easy to solve
 analytically, :class:`NormalDist` can generate input samples for a `Monte
 Carlo simulation <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monte_Carlo_method>`_ of the

diff --git a/Lib/statistics.py b/Lib/statistics.py
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@
 from decimal import Decimal
 from itertools import groupby
 from bisect import bisect_left, bisect_right
-from math import hypot, sqrt, fabs, exp, erf, tau
+from math import hypot, sqrt, fabs, exp, erf, tau, log, fsum
 
 
 
@@ -740,6 +740,41 @@ def cdf(self, x):
             raise StatisticsError('cdf() not defined when sigma is zero')
         return 0.5 * (1.0 + erf((x - self.mu) / (self.sigma * sqrt(2.0))))
 
+    def overlap(self, other):
+        '''Compute the overlapping coefficient (OVL) between two normal distributions.
+
+        Measures the agreement between two normal probability distributions.
+        Returns a value between 0.0 and 1.0 giving the overlapping area in
+        the two underlying probability density functions.
+
+            >>> N1 = NormalDist(2.4, 1.6)
+            >>> N2 = NormalDist(3.2, 2.0)
+            >>> N1.overlap(N2)
+            0.8035050657330205
+
+        '''
+        # See: "The overlapping coefficient as a measure of agreement between
+        # probability distributions and point estimation of the overlap of two
+        # normal densities" -- Henry F. Inman and Edwin L. Bradley Jr
+        # http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03610928908830127
+        if not isinstance(other, NormalDist):
+            raise TypeError('Expected another NormalDist instance')
+        X, Y = self, other
+        if (Y.sigma, Y.mu) < (X.sigma, X.mu):   # sort to assure commutativity
+            X, Y = Y, X
+        X_var, Y_var = X.variance, Y.variance
+        if not X_var or not Y_var:
+            raise StatisticsError('overlap() not defined when sigma is zero')
+        dv = Y_var - X_var
+        dm = fabs(Y.mu - X.mu)
+        if not dv:
+            return 2.0 * NormalDist(dm, 2.0 * X.sigma).cdf(0)
+        a = X.mu * Y_var - Y.mu * X_var
+        b = X.sigma * Y.sigma * sqrt(dm**2.0 + dv * log(Y_var / X_var))
+        x1 = (a + b) / dv
+        x2 = (a - b) / dv
+        return 1.0 - (fabs(Y.cdf(x1) - X.cdf(x1)) + fabs(Y.cdf(x2) - X.cdf(x2)))
+
     @property
     def mean(self):
         'Arithmetic mean of the normal distribution'

diff --git a/Lib/test/test_statistics.py b/Lib/test/test_statistics.py
@@ -2136,6 +2136,68 @@ def test_cdf(self):
         self.assertEqual(X.cdf(float('Inf')), 1.0)
         self.assertTrue(math.isnan(X.cdf(float('NaN'))))
 
+    def test_overlap(self):
+        NormalDist = statistics.NormalDist
+
+        # Match examples from Imman and Bradley
+        for X1, X2, published_result in [
+                (NormalDist(0.0, 2.0), NormalDist(1.0, 2.0), 0.80258),
+                (NormalDist(0.0, 1.0), NormalDist(1.0, 2.0), 0.60993),
+            ]:
+            self.assertAlmostEqual(X1.overlap(X2), published_result, places=4)
+            self.assertAlmostEqual(X2.overlap(X1), published_result, places=4)
+
+        # Check against integration of the PDF
+        def overlap_numeric(X, Y, *, steps=8_192, z=5):
+            'Numerical integration cross-check for overlap() '
+            fsum = math.fsum
+            center = (X.mu + Y.mu) / 2.0
+            width = z * max(X.sigma, Y.sigma)
+            start = center - width
+            dx = 2.0 * width / steps
+            x_arr = [start + i*dx for i in range(steps)]
+            xp = list(map(X.pdf, x_arr))
+            yp = list(map(Y.pdf, x_arr))
+            total = max(fsum(xp), fsum(yp))
+            return fsum(map(min, xp, yp)) / total
+
+        for X1, X2 in [
+                # Examples from Imman and Bradley
+                (NormalDist(0.0, 2.0), NormalDist(1.0, 2.0)),
+                (NormalDist(0.0, 1.0), NormalDist(1.0, 2.0)),
+                # Example from https://www.rasch.org/rmt/rmt101r.htm
+                (NormalDist(0.0, 1.0), NormalDist(1.0, 2.0)),
+                # Gender heights from http://www.usablestats.com/lessons/normal
+                (NormalDist(70, 4), NormalDist(65, 3.5)),
+                # Misc cases with equal standard deviations
+                (NormalDist(100, 15), NormalDist(110, 15)),
+                (NormalDist(-100, 15), NormalDist(110, 15)),
+                (NormalDist(-100, 15), NormalDist(-110, 15)),
+                # Misc cases with unequal standard deviations
+                (NormalDist(100, 12), NormalDist(110, 15)),
+                (NormalDist(100, 12), NormalDist(150, 15)),
+                (NormalDist(100, 12), NormalDist(150, 35)),
+                # Misc cases with small values
+                (NormalDist(1.000, 0.002), NormalDist(1.001, 0.003)),
+                (NormalDist(1.000, 0.002), NormalDist(1.006, 0.0003)),
+                (NormalDist(1.000, 0.002), NormalDist(1.001, 0.099)),
+            ]:
+            self.assertAlmostEqual(X1.overlap(X2), overlap_numeric(X1, X2), places=5)
+            self.assertAlmostEqual(X2.overlap(X1), overlap_numeric(X1, X2), places=5)
+
+        # Error cases
+        X = NormalDist()
+        with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
+            X.overlap()                             # too few arguments
+        with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
+            X.overlap(X, X)                         # too may arguments
+        with self.assertRaises(TypeError):
+            X.overlap(None)                         # right operand not a NormalDist
+        with self.assertRaises(statistics.StatisticsError):
+            X.overlap(NormalDist(1, 0))             # right operand sigma is zero
+        with self.assertRaises(statistics.StatisticsError):
+            NormalDist(1, 0).overlap(X)             # left operand sigma is zero
+
     def test_properties(self):
         X = statistics.NormalDist(100, 15)
         self.assertEqual(X.mean, 100)

diff --git a/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2019-03-03-11-37-09.bpo-36169.8nWJy7.rst b/Misc/NEWS.d/next/Library/2019-03-03-11-37-09.bpo-36169.8nWJy7.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Add overlap() method to statistics.NormalDist.  Computes the overlapping
+coefficient for two normal distributions.
Original file line number	Diff line number	Diff line change
		@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
		Add overlap() method to statistics.NormalDist. Computes the overlapping
		coefficient for two normal distributions.