Generating lognormal distribution

[xya]

Hi,

I'm trying to generate a lognormal distribution in Excel. While it is
possible to produce a lognormal distribution by first generating a
normal distribution using the Data Analysis function, the normal
distribution may at times contain negative numbers which cannot be
converted into a log equivalent.

Would appreciate if someone knows an easy way to generate a lognormal
distribution.

Thank you.

 

[Jerry W. Lewis]

I presume by "generate a lognormal distibution" you mean that you want
to generate lognormal pseudorandom variables.

If X follows the lognormal distribution, then Z=ln(X) follows the normal
distribution. Thus if Z follows the normal distribution, then exp(Z)
follows the lognormal distribution. It sounds like you were trying to
use ln(Z) instead of exp(Z).

The random number generator in ATP is very poor. See
http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=411E1DEE.9030702@no_e-mail.com
http://groups.google.com/[email protected]
for methods of generating normal random variables

Jerry