[R] Drawing random numbers from Uniform distribution with infinite range

[Richard O'Keefe]

I meant to write "gives each finite interval an infinitesimal
probability of the result landing there."
Which I eventually got to.  And we weren't talking about finite range
uniforms., which was sort
of the point.

On Wed, 30 Jul 2025 at 08:48, Duncan Murdoch <murdoch.duncan using gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On 2025-07-29 4:44 p.m., Richard O'Keefe wrote:
> > The uniform distribution with infinite range gives each possible
> > answer infinitesimal probability of being chosen.
>
> That's also true of a finite range uniform distribution.
>
> > In the standard real numbers, that probability is ZERO.
>
> So is that.
>
> > In fact, the probability of getting a number in *any* prespecified
> > finite range is the same, ZERO.
>
> That's not true for the finite range version, only the improper one.
>
> Duncan Murdoch
>
> > One such finite range is the numbers that can be represented in floating-point.
> > So you are with certainty not going to draw a representable number.
> > A complete answer to your question is thus
> > ifelse(runif(N) < 0.5, 1, -1)/0 >
> > Why do you think you need this?
> >
> >
> > On Tue, 29 Jul 2025 at 04:01, Daniel Lobo <danielobo9976 using gmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> Hi,
> >>
> >> I want to draw a set of random number from Uniform distribution where
> >> Support is the entire Real line.
> >>
> >> runif(4, min = -Inf, max = Inf)
> >>
> >> However it produces all NAN
> >>
> >> Could you please help with the right approach?
> >>
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> >
> > ______________________________________________
> > R-help using r-project.org mailing list -- To UNSUBSCRIBE and more, see
> > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> > PLEASE do read the posting guide https://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
> > and provide commented, minimal, self-contained, reproducible code.
>