[R] Re-binning histogram data

[Berton Gunter]

I would argue that histograms are outdated relics and that density plots
(whatever your favorite flavor is) should **always** be used instead these
days.

In this vein, I would appreciate critical rejoinders (public or private) to
the following proposition: Given modern computer power and software like R
on multi ghz machines, statistical and graphical relics of the pre-computer
era (like histograms, low resolution printer-type plots, and perhaps even
method of moments EMS calculations) should be abandoned in favor of superior
but perhaps computation-intensive alternatives (like density plots, high
resolution plots, and likelihood or resampling or Bayes based methods). 

NB: Please -- no pleadings that new methods would be mystifying to the
non-cogniscenti. Following that to its logical conclusion would mean that
we'd all have to give up our TV remotes and cell phones, and what kind of
world would that be?! :-)

-- Bert Gunter

  

> -----Original Message-----
> From: r-help-bounces at stat.math.ethz.ch 
> [mailto:r-help-bounces at stat.math.ethz.ch] On Behalf Of Petr Pikal
> Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2006 6:17 AM
> To: Justin Ashmall; r-help at stat.math.ethz.ch
> Subject: Re: [R] Re-binning histogram data
> 
> 
> 
> On 8 Jun 2006 at 11:35, Justin Ashmall wrote:
> 
> Date sent:      	Thu, 8 Jun 2006 11:35:46 +0100 (BST)
> From:           	Justin Ashmall <ja at space.mit.edu>
> To:             	Petr Pikal <petr.pikal at precheza.cz>
> Copies to:      	r-help at stat.math.ethz.ch
> Subject:        	Re: [R] Re-binning histogram data
> 
> > 
> > Thanks for the reply Petr,
> > 
> > It looks to me that truehist() needs a vector of data just like
> > hist()? Whereas I have histogram-style input data? Am I missing
> > something?
> 
> Well, maybe you could use barplot. Or as you suggested recreate the 
> original vector and call hist or truehist with other bins.
> 
> > hhh<-hist(rnorm(1000))
> > barplot(tapply(hhh$counts, c(rep(1:7,each=2),7), sum))
> > tapply(hhh$mids, c(rep(1:7,each=2),7), mean)
>     1     2     3     4     5     6     7 
> -3.00 -2.00 -1.00  0.00  1.00  2.00  3.25 
> > hhh1<-rep(hhh$mids,hhh$counts)
> > plot(hhh, freq=F)
> > lines(density(hhh1))
> >
> 
> HTH
> Petr
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> > 
> > Cheers,
> > 
> > Justin
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > On Thu, 8 Jun 2006, Petr Pikal wrote:
> > 
> > > Hi
> > >
> > > try truehist from MASS package and look for argument breaks or h.
> > >
> > > HTH
> > > Petr
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On 8 Jun 2006 at 10:46, Justin Ashmall wrote:
> > >
> > > Date sent:      	Thu, 8 Jun 2006 10:46:19 +0100 (BST)
> > > From:           	Justin Ashmall <ja at space.mit.edu>
> > > To:             	r-help at stat.math.ethz.ch
> > > Subject:        	[R] Re-binning histogram data
> > >
> > >> Hi,
> > >>
> > >> Short Version:
> > >> Is there a function to re-bin a histogram to new, broader bins?
> > >>
> > >> Long version: I'm trying to create a histogram, however my
> > >> input-data is itself in the form of a fine-grained 
> histogram, i.e.
> > >> numbers of counts in regular one-second bins. I want to produce a
> > >> histogram of, say, 10-minute bins (though possibly irregular bins
> > >> also).
> > >>
> > >> I suppose I could re-create a data set as expected by the hist()
> > >> function (i.e. if time t=3600 has 6 counts, add six 
> entries of 3600
> > >> to a list) however this seems neither elegant nor 
> efficient (though
> > >> I'd be pleased to be mistaken!). I could then re-create 
> a histogram
> > >> as normal.
> > >>
> > >> I guessing there's a better solution however! Apologies 
> if this is
> > >> a basic question - I'm rather new to R and trying to get up to
> > >> speed.
> > >>
> > >> Regards,
> > >>
> > >> Justin
> > >>
> > >> ______________________________________________
> > >> R-help at stat.math.ethz.ch mailing list
> > >> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> > >> PLEASE do read the posting guide!
> > >> http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
> > >
> > > Petr Pikal
> > > petr.pikal at precheza.cz
> > >
> > >
> > 
> > ______________________________________________
> > R-help at stat.math.ethz.ch mailing list
> > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> > PLEASE do read the posting guide!
> > http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
> 
> Petr Pikal
> petr.pikal at precheza.cz
> 
> ______________________________________________
> R-help at stat.math.ethz.ch mailing list
> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> PLEASE do read the posting guide! 
> http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
>