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POISSON function

Returns the Poisson distribution. A common application of the Poisson distribution is predicting the number of events over a specific time, such as the number of cars arriving at a toll plaza in 1 minute.

Syntax

POISSON(x, mean, cumulative)

Square brackets indicate optional arguments.

Arguments

ArgumentRequiredMeaning
xYesRequired. The number of events.2
meanYesRequired. The expected numeric value.5
cumulativeYesRequired. A logical value that determines the form of the probability distribution returned. If cumulative is TRUE, POISSON returns the cumulative Poisson probability that the number of random events occurring will be between zero and x inclusive; if FALSE, it returns the Poisson probability mass function that the number of events occurring will be exactly x.true

Try POISSON

Read the legacy POISSON function name

=POISSON(A2,B2,FALSE)

POISSON is the compatibility name corresponding to POISSON.DIST. Under a Poisson model with mean 3, P(X=2)=EXP(-3)*3^2/2!. FALSE requests exactly two events. The model assumes events occur independently at a constant mean rate. Use the modern name when creating a new formula; the old spelling is useful when reading existing workbooks.

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POISSON · top-level call

=POISSON(A2,B2,FALSE)

1 / 3 · x

Required. The number of events.

POISSON reference ↗

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Reference and compatibility

Univer 1.0.4 / Apache-2.0. Calculation checks cover the supplied examples only. The browser worksheet does not implement every Excel feature, external service or connected data type.