K-distribution

In probability and statistics, the K-distribution is a three-parameter family of continuous probability distributions. The distribution arises by compounding two gamma distributions. In each case, a re-parametrization of the usual form of the family of gamma distributions is used, such that the parameters are:

  • the mean of the distribution, and
  • the usual shape parameter.

Density

The model is that random variable has a gamma distribution with mean and shape parameter , with being treated as a random variable having another gamma distribution, this time with mean and shape parameter . The result is that has the following probability density function (pdf) for :[1]

where and is a modified Bessel function of the second kind. In this derivation, the K-distribution is a compound probability distribution. It is also a product distribution:[1] it is the distribution of the product of two independent random variables, one having a gamma distribution with mean 1 and shape parameter , the second having a gamma distribution with mean and shape parameter .

This distribution derives from a paper by Jakeman and Pusey (1978) who used it to model microwave sea echo. Jakeman and Tough (1987) derived the distribution from a biased random walk model. Ward (1981) derived the distribution from the product for two random variables, z = a y, where a has a chi distribution and y a complex Gaussian distribution. The modulus of z, |z|, then has K distribution.

Moments

The moment generating function is given by[2]

where is the Whittaker function.

The n-th moments of K-distribution is given by[1]

So the mean and variance are given[1] by

Other properties

All the properties of the distribution are symmetric in and .[1]

Differential equation

The pdf of the K-distribution is a solution of the following differential equation:

Applications

K-distribution arises as the consequence of a statistical or probabilistic model used in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery. The K-distribution is formed by compounding two separate probability distributions, one representing the radar cross-section, and the other representing speckle that is a characteristic of coherent imaging. It is also used in wireless communication to model composite fast fading and shadowing effects.

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Redding (1999)
  2. Bithas (2006)

Sources

Further reading

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