Which term describes a distribution with more than two modes?

Which term describes a distribution with more than two modes?

• A. Multimodal
• B. Monte Carlo method
• C. Moses extreme reactions
• D. Multivariate

Answer: (A)

This question is about the number of peaks in a distribution, or where the data are most concentrated. The mode is the value(s) that occur most frequently, which shows up as a peak in the distribution’s density plot. A distribution with one peak is unimodal, with two peaks it’s bimodal, and with more than two peaks it’s multimodal. So, a distribution that has more than two modes is described as multimodal. The other terms don’t describe the number of peaks: the Monte Carlo method is a simulation technique, Moses extreme reactions isn’t a standard statistical term, and multivariate refers to analyzing multiple variables, not the shape of a single distribution.

This question is about the number of peaks in a distribution, or where the data are most concentrated. The mode is the value(s) that occur most frequently, which shows up as a peak in the distribution’s density plot. A distribution with one peak is unimodal, with two peaks it’s bimodal, and with more than two peaks it’s multimodal. So, a distribution that has more than two modes is described as multimodal. The other terms don’t describe the number of peaks: the Monte Carlo method is a simulation technique, Moses extreme reactions isn’t a standard statistical term, and multivariate refers to analyzing multiple variables, not the shape of a single distribution.