How Can I Generate Weighted Random Values in PHP?

Creating Weighted Random Values in PHP

When generating random values, it may be desirable to assign varying probabilities to different outcomes, creating a weighted distribution. PHP provides a solution for achieving this through its getRandomWeightedElement() function. This function utilizes associative arrays to define the relative chances of selecting specific values.

For instance, to generate a random number between 1 and 10 with a higher likelihood of 3, 4, and 5, one can use the following weightedValues array:

['1' => 1, '2' => 1, '3' => 5, '4' => 5, '5' => 5, '6' => 1, '7' => 1, '8' => 1, '9' => 1, '10' => 1]

In this array, the values represent the relative probabilities of each number being selected. Since 3, 4, and 5 have a probability of 5, they will collectively appear more frequently.

To use the getRandomWeightedElement() function, simply pass it the weightedValues array as an argument:

$randomNumber = getRandomWeightedElement($weightedValues);

The result is a randomly selected number between 1 and 10, weighted according to the probabilities defined in the $weightedValues array.

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