The UNIVARIATE Procedure

QQPLOT Statement

  • QQPLOT <variables> </ options>;

The QQPLOT statement creates quantile-quantile plots (Q-Q plots) and compares ordered variable values with quantiles of a specified theoretical distribution. If the data distribution matches the theoretical distribution, the points on the plot form a linear pattern. Thus, you can use a Q-Q plot to determine how well a theoretical distribution models a set of measurements.

Q-Q plots are similar to probability plots, which you can create with the PROBPLOT statement. Q-Q plots are preferable for graphical estimation of distribution parameters, whereas probability plots are preferable for graphical estimation of percentiles.

You can use any number of QQPLOT statements in the UNIVARIATE procedure. The components of the QQPLOT statement are as follows.

variables

are the variables for which Q-Q plots are created. If you specify a VAR statement, the variables must also be listed in the VAR statement. Otherwise, the variables can be any numeric variables in the input data set. If you do not specify a list of variables, then by default the procedure creates a Q-Q plot for each variable listed in the VAR statement, or for each numeric variable in the DATA= data set if you do not specify a VAR statement. For example, each of the following QQPLOT statements produces two Q-Q plots, one for Length and one for Width:

proc univariate data=Measures;
   var Length Width;
   qqplot;

proc univariate data=Measures;
   qqplot Length Width;
run;
options

specify the theoretical distribution for the plot or add features to the plot. If you specify more than one variable, the options apply equally to each variable. Specify all options after the slash (/) in the QQPLOT statement. You can specify only one option that names the distribution in each QQPLOT statement, but you can specify any number of other options. The distributions available are the beta, exponential, gamma, lognormal, normal, two-parameter Weibull, and three-parameter Weibull. By default, the procedure produces a plot for the normal distribution.

In the following example, the NORMAL option requests a normal Q-Q plot for each variable. The MU= and SIGMA= normal-options request a distribution reference line with intercept 10 and slope 0.3 for each plot, which corresponds to a normal distribution with mean mu equals 10 and standard deviation sigma equals 0.3. The SQUARE option displays the plot in a square frame.

proc univariate data=measures;
   qqplot length1 length2 / normal(mu=10 sigma=0.3)
                            square;
run;

Table 22 through Table 24 list the QQPLOT options by function. For complete descriptions, see the sections Dictionary of Options and Dictionary of Common Options.

The options can be any of the following:

Distribution Options

Table 22 lists primary options for requesting a theoretical distribution. For detailed descriptions of these distributions, see the section Distributions for Probability and Q-Q Plots.

Table 22: Primary Options for Theoretical Distributions

Option Description
BETA(beta-options) Specifies a beta Q-Q plot for shape parameters alpha and beta, which are specified in the mandatory ALPHA= and BETA= beta-options
EXPONENTIAL(exponential-options) Specifies an exponential Q-Q plot
GAMMA(gamma-options) Specifies a gamma Q-Q plot for shape parameter alpha, which is specified in the mandatory ALPHA= gamma-option
GUMBEL(Gumbel-options) Specifies a Gumbel Q-Q plot
LOGNORMAL(lognormal-options) Specifies a lognormal Q-Q plot for shape parameter sigma, which is specified in the mandatory SIGMA= lognormal-option
NORMAL(normal-options) Specifies a normal Q-Q plot
PARETO(Pareto-options) Specifies a generalized Pareto Q-Q plot for shape parameter alpha, which is specified in the mandatory ALPHA= Pareto-option
POWER(power-options) Specifies a power function Q-Q plot for shape parameter alpha, which is specified in the mandatory ALPHA= power-option
RAYLEIGH(Rayleigh-options) Specifies a Rayleigh Q-Q plot
WEIBULL(Weibull-options) Specifies a three-parameter Weibull Q-Q plot for shape parameter c, which is specified in the mandatory C= Weibull-option
WEIBULL2(Weibull2-options) Specifies a two-parameter Weibull Q-Q plot


Table 23 lists secondary options that specify distribution parameters and control the display of a distribution reference line. Specify these options in parentheses after the distribution keyword. For example, you can request a normal Q-Q plot with a distribution reference line by specifying the NORMAL option as follows:

proc univariate;
   qqplot Length / normal(mu=10 sigma=0.3);
run;

The MU= and SIGMA= normal-options display a distribution reference line that corresponds to the normal distribution with mean mu 0 equals 10 and standard deviation sigma 0 equals 0.3.

Table 23: Secondary Distribution Reference Line Options

Option Description
Traditional Graphics Options Used with All Distributions
COLOR= Specifies color of distribution reference line
L= Specifies line type of distribution reference line
W= Specifies width of distribution reference line
Beta-Options
ALPHA= Specifies mandatory shape parameter alpha
BETA= Specifies mandatory shape parameter beta
SIGMA= Specifies sigma 0 for distribution reference line
THETA= Specifies theta 0 for distribution reference line
Exponential-Options
SIGMA= Specifies sigma 0 for distribution reference line
THETA= Specifies theta 0 for distribution reference line
Gamma-Options
ALPHA= Specifies mandatory shape parameter alpha
ALPHADELTA= Specifies change in successive estimates of alpha at which the Newton-Raphson approximation of ModifyingAbove alpha With caret terminates
ALPHAINITIAL= Specifies initial value for alpha in the Newton-Raphson approximation of ModifyingAbove alpha With caret
MAXITER= Specifies maximum number of iterations in the Newton-Raphson approximation of ModifyingAbove alpha With caret
SIGMA= Specifies sigma 0 for distribution reference line
THETA= Specifies theta 0 for distribution reference line
Gumbel-Options
MU= Specifies mu 0 for distribution reference line
SIGMA= Specifies sigma 0 for distribution reference line
Lognormal-Options
SIGMA= Specifies mandatory shape parameter sigma
SLOPE= Specifies slope of distribution reference line
THETA= Specifies theta 0 for distribution reference line
ZETA= Specifies zeta 0 for distribution reference line (slope is exp left parenthesis zeta 0 right parenthesis)
Normal-Options
MU= Specifies mu 0 for distribution reference line
SIGMA= Specifies sigma 0 for distribution reference line
Pareto-Options
ALPHA= Specifies mandatory shape parameter alpha
SIGMA= Specifies sigma 0 for distribution reference line
THETA= Specifies theta 0 for distribution reference line
Power-Options
ALPHA= Specifies mandatory shape parameter alpha
SIGMA= Specifies sigma 0 for distribution reference line
THETA= Specifies theta 0 for distribution reference line
Rayleigh-Options
SIGMA= Specifies sigma 0 for distribution reference line
THETA= Specifies theta 0 for distribution reference line
Weibull-Options
C= Specifies mandatory shape parameter c
SIGMA= Specifies sigma 0 for distribution reference line
THETA= Specifies theta 0 for distribution reference line
Weibull2-Options
C= Specifies c 0 for distribution reference line (slope is 1 divided by c 0)
SIGMA= Specifies sigma 0 for distribution reference line (intercept is log left parenthesis sigma 0 right parenthesis)
SLOPE= Specifies slope of distribution reference line
THETA= Specifies known lower threshold theta 0
Weibull-Options
C= Specifies mandatory shape parameter c
ITPRINT Requests table of iteration history and optimizer details
MAXITER= Specifies maximum number of iterations in the Newton-Raphson approximation of ModifyingAbove c With caret
SIGMA= Specifies sigma 0 for distribution reference line
THETA= Specifies theta 0 for distribution reference line
Weibull2-Options
C= Specifies c 0 for distribution reference line (slope is 1 divided by c 0)
ITPRINT Requests table of iteration history and optimizer details
MAXITER= Specifies maximum number of iterations in the Newton-Raphson approximation of ModifyingAbove c With caret
SIGMA= Specifies sigma 0 for distribution reference line (intercept is log left parenthesis sigma 0 right parenthesis)
SLOPE= Specifies slope of distribution reference line
THETA= Specifies known lower threshold theta 0


General Options

Table 24 summarizes general options for enhancing Q-Q plots.

Table 24: General QQPLOT Statement Options

Option Description
General Graphics Options
GRID Draws grid lines at the major tick marks of the percentile axis
HREF= Requests reference lines perpendicular to the horizontal axis
HREFLABELS= Specifies labels for HREF= lines
HREFLABPOS= Specifies vertical position of labels for HREF= lines
NOHLABEL Suppresses labeling of the horizontal axis
NOVLABEL Suppresses labeling of the vertical axis
NOVTICK Suppresses tick marks and tick mark labels for vertical axis
PCTLAXIS Displays a nonlinear percentile axis
PCTLSCALE Replaces theoretical quantiles with percentiles
ROTATE Switches horizontal and vertical axes
SQUARE Displays plot in square format
VAXISLABEL= Specifies label for vertical axis
VREF= Specifies reference lines perpendicular to the vertical axis
VREFLABELS= Specifies labels for VREF= lines
VREFLABPOS= Specifies horizontal position of labels for VREF= lines
Options for Traditional Graphics Output
ANNOTATE= Specifies annotate data set
CAXIS= Specifies color for axis
CFRAME= Specifies color for frame
CGRID= Specifies color for grid lines
CHREF= Specifies colors for HREF= lines
CSTATREF= Specifies colors for STATREF= lines
CTEXT= Specifies color for text
CVREF= Specifies colors for VREF= lines
DESCRIPTION= Specifies description for plot in graphics catalog
FONT= Specifies software font for text
HEIGHT= Specifies height of text used outside framed areas
HMINOR= Specifies number of horizontal minor tick marks
INFONT= Specifies software font for text inside framed areas
INHEIGHT= Specifies height of text inside framed areas
LGRID= Specifies line type for grid lines
LHREF= Specifies line types for HREF= lines
LSTATREF= Specifies line types for STATREF= lines
LVREF= Specifies line types for VREF= lines
NAME= Specifies name for plot in graphics catalog
NOFRAME Suppresses frame around plotting area
PCTLMINOR Requests minor tick marks for percentile axis
VAXIS= Specifies AXIS statement for vertical axis
VMINOR= Specifies number of vertical minor tick marks
WAXIS= Specifies line thickness for axes and frame
WGRID= Specifies line thickness for grid
Options for ODS Graphics Output
NOLINELEGEND Suppresses legend for distribution reference line
ODSFOOTNOTE= Specifies footnote displayed on plot
ODSFOOTNOTE2= Specifies secondary footnote displayed on plot
ODSTITLE= Specifies title displayed on plot
ODSTITLE2= Specifies secondary title displayed on plot
OVERLAY Overlays plots for different class levels (ODS Graphics only)
Options for Comparative Plots
ANNOKEY Applies annotation requested in ANNOTATE= data set to key cell only
CFRAMESIDE= Specifies color for filling frame for row labels
CFRAMETOP= Specifies color for filling frame for column labels
CPROP= Specifies color for proportion of frequency bar
INTERTILE= Specifies distance between tiles
NCOLS= Specifies number of columns in comparative Q-Q plot
NROWS= Specifies number of rows in comparative Q-Q plot
Miscellaneous Options
CONTENTS= Specifies table of contents entry for Q-Q plot grouping
NADJ= Adjusts sample size when computing percentiles
RANKADJ= Adjusts ranks when computing percentiles


Dictionary of Options

The following entries provide detailed descriptions of options in the QQPLOT statement. Options marked with † apply only when traditional graphics are produced. For detailed descriptions of options common to all plot statements, see the section Dictionary of Common Options.

ALPHA=value-list |EST

specifies the mandatory shape parameter alpha for quantile plots that are requested by the BETA, GAMMA, PARETO, and POWER options. Enclose the ALPHA= option in parentheses after the distribution keyword. If you specify ALPHA=EST, a maximum likelihood estimate is computed for alpha.

BETA(ALPHA=value |EST  BETA=value |EST <beta-options>)

creates a beta quantile plot for each combination of the required shape parameters alpha and beta, which are specified by the required ALPHA= and BETA= beta-options. If you specify ALPHA=EST and BETA=EST, the procedure creates a plot based on maximum likelihood estimates for alpha and beta. You can specify the SCALE= beta-option as an alias for the SIGMA= beta-option and the THRESHOLD= beta-option as an alias for the THETA= beta-option. To create a plot that is based on maximum likelihood estimates for alpha and beta, specify ALPHA=EST and BETA=EST. For more information, see the section Beta Distribution.

To obtain graphical estimates of alpha and beta, specify lists of values in the ALPHA= and BETA= beta-options and select the combination of alpha and beta that most nearly linearizes the point pattern. To assess the point pattern, you can add a diagonal distribution reference line that corresponds to lower threshold parameter theta 0 and scale parameter sigma 0 by specifying the THETA= and SIGMA= beta-options. Alternatively, you can add a line that corresponds to estimated values of theta 0 and sigma 0 by specifying the THETA=EST and SIGMA=EST beta-options. Agreement between the reference line and the point pattern indicates that the beta distribution with parameters alpha, beta, theta 0, and sigma 0 is a good fit.

BETA=value-list |EST
B=value |EST

specifies the mandatory shape parameter beta for quantile plots that are requested by the BETA option. Enclose the BETA= option in parentheses after the BETA option. If you specify BETA=EST, a maximum likelihood estimate is computed for beta.

C=value-list |EST

specifies the shape parameter c for quantile plots that are requested by the WEIBULL and WEIBULL2 options. Enclose this option in parentheses after the WEIBULL or WEIBULL2 option. C= is a required Weibull-option in the WEIBULL option; in this situation, it accepts a list of values, or if you specify C=EST, a maximum likelihood estimate is computed for c. You can optionally specify C=value or C=EST as a Weibull2-option with the WEIBULL2 option to request a distribution reference line; in this situation, you must also specify the SIGMA=value or SIGMA=EST Weibull2-option.

† CGRID=color

specifies the color for grid lines when a grid is displayed on the plot in traditional graphics. This option also produces a grid if the GRID= option is not specified.

EXPONENTIAL<(exponential-options)>
EXP<(exponential-options)>

creates an exponential quantile plot. To assess the point pattern, add a diagonal distribution reference line that corresponds to theta 0 and sigma 0 by specifying the THETA= and SIGMA= exponential-options. Alternatively, you can add a line that corresponds to estimated values of the threshold parameter theta 0 and the scale parameter sigma by specifying THETA=EST and SIGMA=EST the exponential-options. Agreement between the reference line and the point pattern indicates that the exponential distribution with parameters theta 0 and sigma 0 is a good fit. You can specify the SCALE= exponential-option as an alias for the SIGMA= exponential-option and the THRESHOLD= exponential-option as an alias for the THETA= exponential-option. For more information, see the section Exponential Distribution.

GAMMA(ALPHA=value |EST <gamma-options>)

creates a gamma quantile plot for each value of the shape parameter alpha that is specified in the mandatory ALPHA= gamma-option. If you specify ALPHA=EST, the procedure creates a plot that is based on a maximum likelihood estimate for alpha. To obtain a graphical estimate of alpha, specify a list of values for the ALPHA= gamma-option and select the value that most nearly linearizes the point pattern. To assess the point pattern, add a diagonal distribution reference line that corresponds to theta 0 and sigma 0 by specifying the THETA= and SIGMA= gamma-options. Alternatively, you can add a line that corresponds to estimated values of the threshold parameter theta 0 and the scale parameter sigma by specifying the THETA=EST and SIGMA=EST gamma-options. Agreement between the reference line and the point pattern indicates that the gamma distribution with parameters alpha, theta 0, and sigma 0 is a good fit. You can specify the SCALE= gamma-option as an alias for the SIGMA= gamma-option and the THRESHOLD= gamma-option as an alias for the THETA= gamma-option. For more information, see the section Gamma Distribution.

GRID

displays a grid of horizontal lines that are positioned at major tick marks on the vertical axis.

GUMBEL<(Gumbel-options)>

creates a Gumbel quantile plot. To assess the point pattern, add a diagonal distribution reference line that corresponds to mu 0 and sigma 0 by specifying the MU= and SIGMA= Gumbel-options. Alternatively, you can add a line that corresponds to estimated values of the location parameter mu 0 and the scale parameter sigma by specifying MU=EST and SIGMA=EST the Gumbel-options. Agreement between the reference line and the point pattern indicates that the exponential distribution with parameters mu 0 and sigma 0 is a good fit. For more information, see the section Gumbel Distribution.

† LGRID=linetype

specifies the line type for the grid when a grid is displayed on the plot. This option also creates a grid if the GRID option is not specified. By default, LGRID=1, which produces a solid line.

LOGNORMAL(SIGMA=value |EST <lognormal-options>)
LNORM(SIGMA=value |EST <lognormal-options>)

creates a lognormal quantile plot for each value of the shape parameter sigma that is specified in the mandatory SIGMA= lognormal-option. If you specify SIGMA=EST, the procedure creates a plot that is based on an estimate for sigma, which is computed as described in the section Lognormal Distribution. To obtain a graphical estimate of sigma, specify a list of values for the SIGMA= lognormal-option and select the value that most nearly linearizes the point pattern. To assess the point pattern, add a diagonal distribution reference line that corresponds to theta 0 and zeta 0 by specifying the THETA= and ZETA= lognormal-options. Alternatively, you can add a line that corresponds to estimated values of the threshold parameter theta 0 and the scale parameter zeta 0 by specifying the THETA=EST and ZETA=EST lognormal-options. Agreement between the reference line and the point pattern indicates that the lognormal distribution with parameters sigma, theta 0, and zeta 0 is a good fit. You can specify the THRESHOLD= lognormal-option as an alias for the THETA= lognormal-option and the SCALE= lognormal-option as an alias for the ZETA= lognormal-option. For more information, see the section Lognormal Distribution. See Example 4.31 through Example 4.33 for examples that use the LOGNORMAL option.

MU=value |EST

specifies the mean mu 0 for a quantile plot that is requested by the GUMBEL and NORMAL options. Enclose MU= in parentheses after the distribution keyword. You can specify MU=EST to request a distribution reference line with mu 0 equal to the sample mean with the normal distribution. If you specify MU=EST for the Gumbel distribution, the procedure computes a maximum likelihood estimate.

NADJ=value

specifies the adjustment value to add to the sample size in the calculation of theoretical percentiles. By default, NADJ=one fourth. For more information, see to Chambers et al. (1983).

NOLINELEGEND
NOLEGEND

suppresses the legend for the optional distribution reference line. This option applies only to ODS Graphics output.

NORMAL<(normal-options)>

creates a normal quantile plot. This is the default if you omit a distribution option. To assess the point pattern, you can add a diagonal distribution reference line that corresponds to mu 0 and sigma 0 by specifying the MU= and SIGMA= normal-options. Alternatively, you can add a line that corresponds to estimated values of mu 0 and sigma 0 by specifying the MU=EST and SIGMA=EST normal-options; the estimates of the mean mu 0 and the standard deviation sigma 0 are the sample mean and sample standard deviation. Agreement between the reference line and the point pattern indicates that the normal distribution with parameters mu 0 and sigma 0 is a good fit. For more information, see the section Normal Distribution. See Example 4.28 and Example 4.30 for examples that use the NORMAL option.

PARETO(ALPHA=value |EST <Pareto-options>)

creates a generalized Pareto quantile plot for each value of the shape parameter alpha that is specified in the mandatory ALPHA= Pareto-option. If you specify ALPHA=EST, the procedure creates a plot that is based on a maximum likelihood estimate for alpha. To obtain a graphical estimate of alpha, specify a list of values for the ALPHA= Pareto-option and select the value that most nearly linearizes the point pattern. To assess the point pattern, add a diagonal distribution reference line that corresponds to theta 0 and sigma 0 by specifying the THETA= and SIGMA= Pareto-options. Alternatively, you can add a line that corresponds to estimated values of the threshold parameter theta 0 and the scale parameter sigma by specifying the THETA=EST and SIGMA=EST Pareto-options. Agreement between the reference line and the point pattern indicates that the generalized Pareto distribution with parameters alpha, theta 0, and sigma 0 is a good fit. For more information, see the section Generalized Pareto Distribution.

PCTLAXIS<(axis-options)>

adds a nonlinear percentile axis along the frame of the Q-Q plot opposite the theoretical quantile axis. The added axis is identical to the axis for probability plots that are produced by the PROBPLOT statement. When you specify this option, you must also specify values for the HREF= option in quantile units, and you cannot specify the NOFRAME option. You can specify the following axis-options:

† CGRID=color

specifies the color of grid lines that are associated with the percentile axis.

GRID

draws grid lines perpendicular to the percentile axis at major tick marks.

LABEL='string'

specifies the label for the percentile axis.

† LGRID=linetype

specifies the line type to use for grid lines that are associated with the percentile axis.

PCTLORDER=value-list

specifies the tick mark values to be labeled on the percentile axis. The values must be listed in increasing order and must be between 0 and 100, exclusive. Values that correspond to quantiles outside the range of the theoretical quantile axis are not displayed.

† WGRID=n

specifies the thickness of grid lines that are associated with the percentile axis.

† PCTLMINOR

requests minor tick marks for the percentile axis when you specify the PCTLAXIS option. The HMINOR option overrides the PCTLMINOR option.

PCTLSCALE

requests scale labels for the theoretical quantile axis in percentile units, resulting in a nonlinear axis scale. Tick marks are drawn uniformly across the axis based on the quantile scale. In all other respects, the plot remains the same, and you must specify values for the HREF= option in quantile units. For a true nonlinear axis, use the PCTLAXIS option or use the PROBPLOT statement.

POWER(ALPHA=value |EST <power-options>)

creates a power function quantile plot for each value of the shape parameter alpha that is specified in the mandatory ALPHA= power-option. If you specify ALPHA=EST, the procedure creates a plot based on a maximum likelihood estimate for alpha. To obtain a graphical estimate of alpha, specify a list of values for the ALPHA= power-option and select the value that most nearly linearizes the point pattern. To assess the point pattern, add a diagonal distribution reference line that corresponds to theta 0 and sigma 0 by specifying the THETA= and SIGMA= power-options. Alternatively, you can add a line that corresponds to estimated values of the threshold parameter theta 0 and the scale parameter sigma by specifying the THETA=EST and SIGMA=EST power-options. Agreement between the reference line and the point pattern indicates that the power function distribution with parameters alpha, theta 0, and sigma 0 is a good fit. For more information, see the section Power Function Distribution.

RAYLEIGH<(Rayleigh-options)>

creates a Rayleigh quantile plot. To assess the point pattern, add a diagonal distribution reference line that corresponds to theta 0 and sigma 0 by specifying the THETA= and SIGMA= Rayleigh-options. Alternatively, you can add a line that corresponds to estimated values of the threshold parameter theta 0 and the scale parameter sigma by specifying the THETA=EST and SIGMA=EST Rayleigh-options. Agreement between the reference line and the point pattern indicates that the exponential distribution with parameters theta 0 and sigma 0 is a good fit. For more information, see the section Rayleigh Distribution.

RANKADJ=value

specifies the adjustment value to add to the ranks in the calculation of theoretical percentiles. By default, RANKADJ=negative three eighths, as recommended by Blom (1958). For more information, see Chambers et al. (1983).

ROTATE

switches the horizontal and vertical axes so that the theoretical quantiles are plotted vertically and the data are plotted horizontally. Regardless of whether the plot has been rotated, horizontal axis options (such as HAXIS=) still refer to the horizontal axis, and vertical axis options (such as VAXIS=) still refer to the vertical axis. All other options that depend on axis placement adjust to the rotated axes.

SIGMA=value |EST

specifies the parameter sigma, where sigma greater than 0. Alternatively, you can specify SIGMA=EST to request an estimate for sigma 0, which is computed as described in the section Lognormal Distribution. The interpretation and use of the SIGMA= option depend on the distribution option with which it is used, as summarized in Table 25. Enclose this option in parentheses after the distribution option.

Table 25: Uses of the SIGMA= Option

Distribution Option Use of the SIGMA= Option
BETA EXPONENTIAL GAMMA PARETO POWER RAYLEIGH WEIBULL THETA=theta 0 and SIGMA=sigma 0 request a distribution reference line that corresponds to theta 0 and sigma 0.
GUMBEL MU=mu 0 and SIGMA=sigma 0 request a distribution reference line that corresponds to mu 0 and sigma 0.
LOGNORMAL SIGMA=sigma 1 ellipsis sigma Subscript n Baseline requests n quantile plots with shape parameters sigma 1 ellipsis sigma Subscript n Baseline. The SIGMA= option must be specified.
NORMAL MU=mu 0 and SIGMA=sigma 0 request a distribution reference line that corresponds to mu 0 and sigma 0. SIGMA=EST requests a line with sigma 0 equal to the sample standard deviation.
WEIBULL2 SIGMA=sigma 0 and C=c 0 request a distribution reference line that corresponds to sigma 0 and c 0.


SLOPE=value |EST

specifies the slope for a distribution reference line that is requested by the LOGNORMAL or WEIBULL2 option. Enclose the SLOPE= option in parentheses after the distribution option. When you use the SLOPE= lognormal-option with the LOGNORMAL option, you must also specify a threshold parameter value theta 0 in the THETA= lognormal-option to request the line. The SLOPE= lognormal-option is an alternative to the ZETA= lognormal-option for specifying zeta 0, because the slope is equal to exp left parenthesis zeta 0 right parenthesis.

When you use the SLOPE= Weibull2-option (in the WEIBULL2 option), you must also specify a scale parameter value sigma 0 in the SIGMA= Weibull2-option to request the line. The SLOPE= Weibull2-option is an alternative to the C= Weibull2-option for specifying c 0, because the slope is equal to StartFraction 1 Over c 0 EndFraction.

For example, the first and second QQPLOT statements produce the same quantile plots and the third and fourth QQPLOT statements produce the same quantile plots:

proc univariate data=Measures;
   qqplot Width / lognormal(sigma=2 theta=0 zeta=0);
   qqplot Width / lognormal(sigma=2 theta=0 slope=1);
   qqplot Width / weibull2(sigma=2 theta=0 c=.25);
   qqplot Width / weibull2(sigma=2 theta=0 slope=4);

SQUARE

displays the quantile plot in a square frame. (By default, the frame is rectangular.)

THETA=value |EST
THRESHOLD=value |EST

specifies the lower threshold parameter theta for plots that are requested by the BETA, EXPONENTIAL, GAMMA, PARETO, POWER, RAYLEIGH, LOGNORMAL, WEIBULL, and WEIBULL2 options. Enclose the THETA= option in parentheses after a distribution option. When used with the WEIBULL2 option, the THETA= option specifies the known lower threshold theta 0, for which the default is 0. When used with the other distribution options, the THETA= option specifies theta 0 for a distribution reference line; alternatively in this situation, you can specify THETA=EST to request a maximum likelihood estimate for theta 0. To request the line, you must also specify a scale parameter.

WEIBULL(C=value |EST <Weibull-options>)
WEIB(C=value |EST <Weibull-options>)

creates a three-parameter Weibull quantile plot for each value of the required shape parameter c, which is specified in the mandatory C= Weibull-option. To create a plot that is based on a maximum likelihood estimate for c, specify C=EST. To obtain a graphical estimate of c, specify a list of values in the C= Weibull-option and select the value that most nearly linearizes the point pattern. To assess the point pattern, add a diagonal distribution reference line that corresponds to theta 0 and sigma 0 by specifying the THETA= and SIGMA= Weibull-options. Alternatively, you can add a line that corresponds to estimated values of theta 0 and sigma 0 by specifying the THETA=EST and SIGMA=EST Weibull-options. Agreement between the reference line and the point pattern indicates that the Weibull distribution with parameters c, theta 0, and sigma 0 is a good fit. You can specify the SCALE= Weibull-option as an alias for the SIGMA= Weibull-option and the THRESHOLD= Weibull-option as an alias for the THETA= Weibull-option. See Example 4.34.

WEIBULL2<(Weibull2-options)>
W2<(Weibull2-options)>

creates a two-parameter Weibull quantile plot. You should use the WEIBULL2 option when your data have a known lower threshold theta 0, which is 0 by default. To specify the threshold value theta 0, use the THETA= Weibull2-option, whose default is 0. An advantage of the two-parameter Weibull plot over the three-parameter Weibull plot is that the parameters c and sigma can be estimated from the slope and intercept of the point pattern. A disadvantage is that the two-parameter Weibull distribution applies only in situations where the threshold parameter is known. To obtain a graphical estimate of theta 0, specify a list of values for the THETA= Weibull2-option and select the value that most nearly linearizes the point pattern. To assess the point pattern, add a diagonal distribution reference line that corresponds to sigma 0 and c 0 by specifying the SIGMA= and C= Weibull2-options. Alternatively, you can add a distribution reference line that corresponds to estimated values of sigma 0 and c 0 by specifying the SIGMA=EST and C=EST Weibull2-options. Agreement between the reference line and the point pattern indicates that the Weibull distribution with parameters c 0, theta 0, and sigma 0 is a good fit. You can specify the SCALE= Weibull2-option as an alias for the SIGMA= Weibull2-option and the SHAPE= Weibull2-option as an alias for the C= Weibull2-option. See Example 4.34.

† WGRID=n

specifies the line thickness for the grid when traditional graphics are produced. This option does not apply to ODS Graphics output.

ZETA=value |EST

specifies a value for the scale parameter zeta for the lognormal quantile plots that are requested by the LOGNORMAL option. Enclose the ZETA= lognormal-option in parentheses after the LOGNORMAL option. To request a distribution reference line with intercept theta 0 and slope exp left parenthesis zeta 0 right parenthesis, specify the THETA= and ZETA= suboptions.

Last updated: April 16, 2025