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// For information as to what this class does, see the Javadoc, below.       //
// Copyright (C) 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006,       //
// 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2022 by Peter Spirtes, Richard        //
// Scheines, Joseph Ramsey, and Clark Glymour.                               //
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// This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify      //
// it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by      //
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package edu.cmu.tetrad.util.dist;

import edu.cmu.tetrad.util.TetradSerializable;

/**
 * Interface for a statistical distribution from which random values can
 * be drawn. Methods are provided for setting/getting parameters in the
 * interface. A single random number generator is used throughout Tetrad
 * to ensure randomness.
 *
 * @author josephramsey
 */
@SuppressWarnings("UnusedDeclaration")
public interface Distribution extends TetradSerializable {
    long serialVersionUID = 23L;

    /**
     * @return Ibid.
     */
    int getNumParameters();

    /**
     * @return Ibid.
     */
    String getName();

    /**
     * Sets the index'th parameter to the given value.
     *
     * @param index Ibid. Must be &gt;= 0 and &lt; # parameters.
     * @param value Ibid.
     */
    void setParameter(int index, double value);

    /**
     * @param index Ibid. Muist be &lt;= 0 and &lt; # parameters.
     * @return The Ibid.
     */
    double getParameter(int index);

    /**
     * The name of the index'th parameter, for display purposes.
     *
     * @param index Ibid. Must be &gt;= 0 and &lt; # parameters.
     * @return Ibid.
     */
    String getParameterName(int index);

    /**
     * @return Ibid.
     */
    double nextRandom();
}





