Bimodal Distribution In C Or Python

What's the easiest way to generate random values according to a bimodal distribution in C or Python? I could implement something like the Ziggurat algorithm or a Box-Muller transfo

Solution 1:

Aren't you just picking values either of two modal distributions?

http://docs.python.org/library/random.html#random.triangular

Sounds like you just toggle back and forth between two sets of parameters for your call to triangular.

def bimodal( low1, high1, mode1, low2, high2, mode2 ):
    toss = random.choice( (1, 2) )
    if toss == 1:
        returnrandom.triangular( low1, high1, mode1 ) 
    else:
        returnrandom.triangular( low2, high2, mode2 )

This may do everything you need.

Solution 2:

There's always the old-fashioned straight-forward accept-reject algorithm. If it was good enough for Johnny von Neumann it should be good enough for you ;-).