[Rd] Patch to add Beta binomial distribution. Mentor needed!

[Ben Bolker]

Joan Maspons <j.maspons <at> creaf.uab.cat> writes:

> 
> 2012/6/1 Tim Triche, Jr. <tim.triche <at> gmail.com>
> 
> > It's in VGAM, remember?  Not a bug.
> >
> > --
> > *A model is a lie that helps you see the truth.*
> > *
> > *
> > Howard Skipper<http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/31/9/1173.full.pdf>
> >
> >
> Yes, it's a wish, not a bug. I would like a faster implementation in c and
> including quantile function. pbetabin calls qbetabin and sums from 0 to q
> using a loop. It can be avoided using genhypergeo function from hypergeo
> package [1] but it adds a dependency and for some parameters it doesn't
> converge.
> 
> In the other hand I think that these functions should be implemented in a
> more neutral place to avoid that packages interested in this distribution
> have to depend on VGAM. I'm also interested in the Beta negative binomial
> distribution which I think it's not implemented (this will be the second
> round). And last but not least I want to learn.

  I really think your chances of getting this wish accepted are tiny.
If you want to avoid additional dependencies, you have at least the 
*legal* right to take any piece of code you want from any open-source
(BSD, GPL, ...) package and package it your own little package 
(provided it follows the rules of the original license) that
includes only the stuff you need, without any other dependencies.  It's
polite to ask for permission and acknowledge the original authors ...

  Ben Bolker