MATLAB: Pick a number from an array with a certain probability

inverse transform samplingprobabilityrandom number

Hi!

I have an array from 1 to 150 [1 2 3 …]

and the corresponding probability [0.001 0.003 0.002 …]

Now I'd like to pick a random number from the first array with taking into account the respective probability.

Has anyone an idea how to proceed?

Thanks!

If you can use pre-defined functions and you have Statistics and Machine Learning Toolbox, then you can use randsample(): https://www.mathworks.com/help/releases/R2020a/stats/randsample.html. Something like this

pop = 1:150;
prob = % probability values 1x150
y = randsample(pop, 1000, true, prob)

If you don't have the toolbox, then try following FEX packages: