EXAMPLE 4.6 Using Software

Most statistical software has a function that will generate a random number between 0 and 1. The sample space is

This is a mathematical idealization with an infinite number of outcomes. In reality, any specific random number generator produces numbers with some limited number of decimal places so that, strictly speaking, not all numbers between 0 and 1 are possible outcomes. For example, in default mode, Excel reports random numbers like 0.798249, with six decimal places. The entire interval from 0 to 1 is easier to think about. It also has the advantage of being a suitable sample space for different software systems that produce random numbers with different numbers of digits.