\HeaderA{hist}{Histograms}{hist}
\methaliasA{hist.default}{hist}{hist.default}
\keyword{dplot}{hist}
\keyword{hplot}{hist}
\keyword{distribution}{hist}
\begin{Description}\relax
The generic function \code{hist} computes a histogram of the given
data values.  If \code{plot=TRUE}, the resulting object of
\code{\LinkA{class}{class} "histogram"} is plotted by
\code{\LinkA{plot.histogram}{plot.histogram}}, before it is returned.
\end{Description}
\begin{Usage}
\begin{verbatim}
hist(x, ...)

## Default S3 method:
hist(x, breaks = "Sturges",
     freq = NULL, probability = !freq,
     include.lowest = TRUE, right = TRUE,
     density = NULL, angle = 45, col = NULL, border = NULL,
     main = paste("Histogram of" , xname),
     xlim = range(breaks), ylim = NULL,
     xlab = xname, ylab,
     axes = TRUE, plot = TRUE, labels = FALSE,
     nclass = NULL, ...)
\end{verbatim}
\end{Usage}
\begin{Arguments}
\begin{ldescription}
\item[\code{x}] a vector of values for which the histogram is desired.
\item[\code{breaks}] one of:
\Itemize{
\item a vector giving the breakpoints between histogram cells,
\item a single number giving the number of cells for the histogram,
\item a character string naming an algorithm to compute the
number of cells (see \sQuote{Details}),
\item a function to compute the number of cells.
}
In the last three cases the number is a suggestion only.

\item[\code{freq}] logical; if \code{TRUE}, the histogram graphic is a
representation of frequencies, the \code{counts} component of
the result; if \code{FALSE}, probability densities, component
\code{density}, are plotted (so that the histogram has a total area
of one).  Defaults to \code{TRUE} \emph{if and only if} \code{breaks} are
equidistant (and \code{probability} is not specified).
\item[\code{probability}] an \emph{alias} for \code{!freq}, for S compatibility.
\item[\code{include.lowest}] logical; if \code{TRUE}, an \code{x[i]} equal to
the \code{breaks} value will be included in the first (or last, for
\code{right = FALSE}) bar.  This will be ignored (with a warning)
unless \code{breaks} is a vector.
\item[\code{right}] logical; if \code{TRUE}, the histograms cells are
right-closed (left open) intervals.
\item[\code{density}] the density of shading lines, in lines per inch.
The default value of \code{NULL} means that no shading lines
are drawn. Non-positive values of \code{density} also inhibit the
drawing of shading lines.
\item[\code{angle}] the slope of shading lines, given as an angle in
degrees (counter-clockwise).
\item[\code{col}] a colour to be used to fill the bars.
The default of \code{NULL} yields unfilled bars.
\item[\code{border}] the color of the border around the bars.  The default
is to use the standard foreground color.
\item[\code{main, xlab, ylab}] these arguments to \code{title} have useful
defaults here.
\item[\code{xlim, ylim}] the range of x and y values with sensible defaults.
Note that \code{xlim} is \emph{not} used to define the histogram (breaks),
but only for plotting (when \code{plot = TRUE}).
\item[\code{axes}] logical.  If \code{TRUE} (default), axes are draw if the
plot is drawn.
\item[\code{plot}] logical.  If \code{TRUE} (default), a histogram is
plotted, otherwise a list of breaks and counts is returned.  In the
latter case, a warning is used if (typically graphical) arguments
are specified that only apply to the \code{plot = TRUE} case.
\item[\code{labels}] logical or character.  Additionally draw labels on top
of bars, if not \code{FALSE}; see \code{\LinkA{plot.histogram}{plot.histogram}}.
\item[\code{nclass}] numeric (integer).  For S(-PLUS) compatibility only,
\code{nclass} is equivalent to \code{breaks} for a scalar or
character argument.
\item[\code{...}] further arguments and graphical parameters passed to
\code{\LinkA{plot.histogram}{plot.histogram}} and thence to \code{\LinkA{title}{title}} and
\code{\LinkA{axis}{axis}} (if \code{plot=TRUE}).
\end{ldescription}
\end{Arguments}
\begin{Details}\relax
The definition of \emph{histogram} differs by source (with
country-specific biases).  \R's default with equi-spaced breaks (also
the default) is to plot the counts in the cells defined by
\code{breaks}.  Thus the height of a rectangle is proportional to
the number of points falling into the cell, as is the area
\emph{provided} the breaks are equally-spaced.

The default with non-equi-spaced breaks is to give
a plot of area one, in which the \emph{area} of the rectangles is the
fraction of the data points falling in the cells.

If \code{right = TRUE} (default), the histogram cells are intervals
of the form \code{(a, b]}, i.e., they include their right-hand endpoint,
but not their left one, with the exception of the first cell when
\code{include.lowest} is \code{TRUE}.

For \code{right = FALSE}, the intervals are of the form \code{[a, b)},
and \code{include.lowest} means \sQuote{\emph{include highest}}.

A numerical tolerance of \eqn{10^{-7}}{} times the median bin size
is applied when counting entries on the edges of bins.

The default for \code{breaks} is \code{"Sturges"}: see
\code{\LinkA{nclass.Sturges}{nclass.Sturges}}.  Other names for which algorithms
are supplied are \code{"Scott"} and \code{"FD"} /
\code{"Freedman-Diaconis"} (with corresponding functions
\code{\LinkA{nclass.scott}{nclass.scott}} and \code{\LinkA{nclass.FD}{nclass.FD}}).
Case is ignored and partial matching is used.
Alternatively, a function can be supplied which
will compute the intended number of breaks as a function of \code{x}.
\end{Details}
\begin{Value}
an object of class \code{"histogram"} which is a list with components:
\begin{ldescription}
\item[\code{breaks}] the \eqn{n+1}{} cell boundaries (= \code{breaks} if that
was a vector).
\item[\code{counts}] \eqn{n}{} integers; for each cell, the number of
\code{x[]} inside.
\item[\code{density}] values \eqn{\hat f(x_i)}{}, as estimated
density values. If \code{all(diff(breaks) == 1)}, they are the
relative frequencies \code{counts/n} and in general satisfy
\eqn{\sum_i \hat f(x_i) (b_{i+1}-b_i) = 1}{}, where \eqn{b_i}{} = \code{breaks[i]}.
\item[\code{intensities}] same as \code{density}. Deprecated, but retained
for compatibility.
\item[\code{mids}] the \eqn{n}{} cell midpoints.
\item[\code{xname}] a character string with the actual \code{x} argument name.
\item[\code{equidist}] logical, indicating if the distances between
\code{breaks} are all the same.
\end{ldescription}
\end{Value}
\begin{References}\relax
Becker, R. A., Chambers, J. M. and Wilks, A. R. (1988)
\emph{The New S Language}.
Wadsworth \& Brooks/Cole.

Venables, W. N. and Ripley. B. D. (2002)
\emph{Modern Applied Statistics with S}.  Springer.
\end{References}
\begin{SeeAlso}\relax
\code{\LinkA{nclass.Sturges}{nclass.Sturges}}, \code{\LinkA{stem}{stem}},
\code{\LinkA{density}{density}},  \code{\LinkA{truehist}{truehist}} in package \pkg{MASS}.

Typical plots with vertical bars are \emph{not} histograms.  Consider
\code{\LinkA{barplot}{barplot}} or \code{\LinkA{plot}{plot}(*, type = "h")}
for such bar plots.
\end{SeeAlso}
\begin{Examples}
\begin{ExampleCode}
op <- par(mfrow=c(2, 2))
hist(islands)
utils::str(hist(islands, col="gray", labels = TRUE))

hist(sqrt(islands), breaks = 12, col="lightblue", border="pink")
##-- For non-equidistant breaks, counts should NOT be graphed unscaled:
r <- hist(sqrt(islands), breaks = c(4*0:5, 10*3:5, 70, 100, 140),
          col='blue1')
text(r$mids, r$density, r$counts, adj=c(.5, -.5), col='blue3')
sapply(r[2:3], sum)
sum(r$density * diff(r$breaks)) # == 1
lines(r, lty = 3, border = "purple") # -> lines.histogram(*)
par(op)

require(utils) # for str
str(hist(islands, breaks=12, plot= FALSE)) #-> 10 (~= 12) breaks
str(hist(islands, breaks=c(12,20,36,80,200,1000,17000), plot = FALSE))

hist(islands, breaks=c(12,20,36,80,200,1000,17000), freq = TRUE,
     main = "WRONG histogram") # and warning

require(stats)
set.seed(14)
x <- rchisq(100, df = 4)

## Comparing data with a model distribution should be done with qqplot()!
qqplot(x, qchisq(ppoints(x), df = 4)); abline(0,1, col = 2, lty = 2)

## if you really insist on using hist() ... :
hist(x, freq = FALSE, ylim = c(0, 0.2))
curve(dchisq(x, df = 4), col = 2, lty = 2, lwd = 2, add = TRUE)

\end{ExampleCode}
\end{Examples}

