How to Perform Sampling with Replacement in Python

Introduction

Sampling is an essential technique in statistical analysis and data science. One of the simplest types of sampling is simple random sampling, where a subset of individuals is selected randomly from a larger population. This can be done with or without replacement. In sampling with replacement, an individual that has been chosen for the sample is placed back into the population and could be chosen again. This method is especially useful when dealing with small datasets, as it allows for the creation of larger samples that still reflect the characteristics of the original data.

In this article, we’ll dive into how to perform sampling with replacement in Python, using the capabilities of libraries such as numpy and pandas.

Understanding Sampling with Replacement

In sampling with replacement, each member of a population is equally likely to be chosen at each draw. Once a member is selected, it is put back into the population and can be chosen again. This process increases the potential diversity of your sample and is especially useful in bootstrapping, a resampling technique used to estimate statistics on a population by sampling a dataset with replacement.

Sampling with Replacement in Python Using NumPy

The numpy library provides the numpy.random.choice method, which we can use to perform sampling with replacement. Let’s consider a simple example where we have a population of 10 individuals, and we want to create a sample of 5 individuals with replacement.

First, let’s create our population:

import numpy as np

# Create a population
population = np.arange(1, 11)

This code creates an array of 10 elements to represent our population. Now, let’s perform sampling with replacement:

# Decide on a sample size
sample_size = 5

# Sample with replacement
sample = np.random.choice(population, size=sample_size, replace=True)

Here, np.random.choice(population, size=sample_size, replace=True) creates a sample from the population with replacement. The size parameter specifies the size of the sample, and the replace parameter indicates that the sampling is done with replacement.

Sampling with Replacement in Python Using Pandas

The pandas library also provides a method for sampling with replacement: DataFrame.sample. This method can be handy when dealing with pandas DataFrames. Suppose we have a DataFrame with 100 rows, and we want to create a sample of 50 rows with replacement.

First, let’s create our DataFrame:

import pandas as pd

# Create a DataFrame
data = pd.DataFrame({
    'Data': np.random.randn(100)
})

Here we have created a DataFrame with a single column, ‘Data’, filled with random numbers. Now, let’s perform sampling with replacement:

# Decide on a sample size
sample_size = 50

# Sample with replacement
sample = data.sample(n=sample_size, replace=True, random_state=42)

In this code, data.sample(n=sample_size, replace=True, random_state=42) creates a sample from the DataFrame with replacement. The n parameter specifies the size of the sample, the replace parameter indicates that the sampling is done with replacement, and the random_state parameter ensures reproducibility.

Verifying the Sampling

After performing sampling with replacement, it’s useful to verify the sample. You can check the size of the sample and observe the distribution of the original data and the sample data to make sure that the sampling process worked as expected:

# Check the size of the sample
print("Sample size: ", len(sample))

# Plot the distribution of the original data and the sample data
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
plt.figure(figsize=(12, 6))
plt.subplot(1, 2, 1)
plt.hist(data['Data'], bins=20, alpha=0.7, label='Original Data')
plt.legend()
plt.subplot(1, 2, 2)
plt.hist(sample['Data'], bins=20, alpha=0.7, label='Sample Data')
plt.legend()
plt.show()

This code first prints the size of the sample. It then plots the histogram of the original data and the sample data. Since we are sampling with replacement, the distributions should be similar.

Conclusion

Sampling with replacement is a versatile sampling technique that’s particularly useful when you need to create larger samples from smaller datasets. Python’s robust libraries such as numpy and pandas provide simple and efficient ways to perform sampling with replacement, making the process straightforward and manageable in different data analysis and machine learning scenarios.