Editing 12: Poisson

{{comic
| number    = 12
| date      = January 1, 2006
| title     = Poisson
| image     = poisson.jpg
| titletext = Poisson distributions have no value over negative numbers
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] expresses himself as a {{w|Poisson distribution}}, which shows the probability of a given number of events occurring in a fixed interval of time or space. The X axis typically represents the "number of events" while the Y axis is a decimal representing the probability (e.g., 0.5 for 50% probability) a given number of events will occur in that fixed interval of time or space. It is commonly represented by a bar graph or a scatter graph (sometimes with a line connection to show a trend, even though there is no actual value for non-integers).

What's important to note for this comic is that this distribution only has data points on non-negative integers and is not continuous through decimal numbers or (as the image text tells us) negative numbers because events can't occur 0.3 of a time, or &minus;2 times. After implying that the concept of a person being a mathematical distribution is irrational, [[Black Hat]] suggests he is "less than zero". Since the Poisson distribution doesn't exist or has no value at negative values, Cueball no longer exists to Black Hat and thus either leaves or disappears magically. Cueball repeating his claim may also be a reference to the fact that the Poisson point process is memoryless. [[Randall Munroe|Randall]] was still experimenting with character design, as Cueball has a face in the first two frames.

In the title text, as in some other early comics, [[Randall Munroe|Randall]] explains the joke rather than adding to it.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball is talking to Black Hat.]
:Cueball: I'm a poisson distribution!

:Cueball: Still a Poisson distribution!
:Black Hat: What the hell, man. Why do you keep saying that?

:Cueball: Because I'm totally a poisson distribution.
:Black Hat: I'm less than zero.

:[Cueball is gone. Black Hat is now whistling.]

==Trivia==
* This comic and [[5: Blown apart]] were posted for the first time on the [[:Category:First day on xkcd.com|first day of xkcd.com]]. Both of these comics were exclusively published on [https://xkcd.com xkcd.com] and were never shared on [[LiveJournal]].
* This comic was [[:Category:Sunday comics|released on a Sunday]].

{{comic discussion}} 

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[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
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