[R] how to generate a normal distribution with mean=1, min=0.2, max=0.8

[Mike Miller]

On Fri, 29 Apr 2011, Giovanni Petris wrote:

> Well, but the original poster also refers to 0.2 and 0.8 as "expected 
> min and max", in which case we are back to a joke...

Well, he is a lot better with English than I am with Mandarin.  He seemed 
to like the truncated normal answers, so we'll let those be his answers.

It is possible to choose parameters for a normal distribution with 500 
observations such that the expected value of the maximum is .8 and the 
expected value of the minimum is .2.  Obviously, the mean would be .5, not 
1, but what would the variance then have to be to provide the correct 
expected max and min?  That's another legitimate question.

Mike


>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: r-help-bounces at r-project.org [mailto:r-help-bounces at r-project.org] On Behalf Of Mao Jianfeng
>>> Sent: Thursday, April 28, 2011 12:02 PM
>>> To: r-help at r-project.org
>>> Subject: [R] how to generate a normal distribution with mean=1, min=0.2, max=0.8
>>>
>>> Dear all,
>>>
>>> This is a simple probability problem. I want to know, How to generate 
>>> a normal distribution with mean=1, min=0.2 and max=0.8?
>>>
>>> I know how the generate a normal distribution of mean = 1 and sd = 1 
>>> and with 500 data point.
>>>
>>> rnorm(n=500, m=1, sd=1)
>>>
>>> But, I am confusing with how to generate a normal distribution with 
>>> expected min and max. I expect to hear your directions.
>>>
>>> Thanks in advance.
>>>
>>> Best,
>>> Jian-Feng,