Does anybody know why the normal distribution is called 'normal'? The most
plausible explanations I've encountered so far are:
1. The value of a variable that has a normal distribution is determined by
many different factors, each contributing a small part of the total value.
Because this is the case with many real life variables, like length and
intelligence, the resulting distribution of values is called normal.
2. Many probability distributions are approximated by the normal
distribution for large sample sizes.
Maybe there are other explanations and maybe someone knows the source of the
name?
Jan Souman
Dpt. of Social Sciences
University of Utrecht, Netherlands
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