R help - Feb 2012 - Telling plot() the max y value to expect when plotting one distribution and then using lines() to add more distributions

I am plotting three Pearson Type IV distributions. It looks like I have to plot
the distribution with the highest value of y and then use lines() to add the two
distributions that are shorter / have lower max values of y. The following code
figures out which distribution has the max y value, plots it first and then uses
lines for the other two distributions with a series of three if statements. This
works. I run R from a batch file that reads the following in a text file.
 
I want to graph dozens of distributions and I am looking for a more elegant way
to do this.
 
New to R, experienced C programmer, thanks in advance. Frank



colors <- c("red", "blue", "darkgreen",
"gold", "black")
labels <- c("1", "2","3")
pdf("C:\\Users\\Frank\\Documents\\R\\Scripts\\pt4_Graph.pdf")
## load Pearson package
library(PearsonDS)
##range for x axis
no_of_increments<- 100
x <- seq(-0.06, +0.06, length=no_of_increments)
##parameters for the plots of three distributions
mx<- c(1.95, 18.35,1.93)
nux<- c(0.08,-1.02,0.25)
locationx<- c(0.0048,-0.00254,0.00189)
scalex<- c(0.0115,0.082187,0.026675)
## calculate probability density function
hx1<- dpearsonIV(x,m=mx[1],nu=nux[1],location=locationx[1],scale=scalex[1])
hx2<- dpearsonIV(x,m=mx[2],nu=nux[2],location=locationx[2],scale=scalex[2])
hx3<- dpearsonIV(x,m=mx[3],nu=nux[3],location=locationx[3],scale=scalex[3])
##calculate max of each distribtion
maxhx1<- max(hx1)
maxhx2<- max(hx2)
maxhx3<- max(hx3)
maxhx<- max(hx1,hx2,hx3)
maxhx1
maxhx2
maxhx3
maxhx

if (maxhx1==maxhx) 
 {plot(x, hx1 , type="l", lwd=2, col=colors[1], xlab="x
value",  ylab="Density", main="pt4")
for (i in 2:3){
  lines(x,
dpearsonIV(x,m=mx[i],nu=nux[i],location=locationx[i],scale=scalex[i]), lwd=2,
col=colors[i])}
legend("topright", inset=.05, title="Distributions",
  labels, lwd=2, lty=c(1, 1, 1, 1, 2), col=colors)
grid()
}

if (maxhx2==maxhx) {plot(x, hx2 , type="l", lwd=2, xlab="x
value",  ylab="Density", main="SPX", col=colors[2])
{
  lines(x,
dpearsonIV(x,m=mx[1],nu=nux[1],location=locationx[1],scale=scalex[1]), lwd=2,
col=colors[1])
  lines(x,
dpearsonIV(x,m=mx[3],nu=nux[3],location=locationx[3],scale=scalex[3]), lwd=2,
col=colors[3])
legend("topright", inset=.05, title="Distributions",
  labels, lwd=2, lty=c(1, 1, 1, 1, 2), col=colors)
grid()
}

if (maxhx3==maxhx) 
 {plot(x, hx3 , type="l", lwd=2, col=colors[3], xlab="x
value",  ylab="Density", main="SPX")
for (i in 1:2){
  lines(x,
dpearsonIV(x,m=mx[i],nu=nux[i],location=locationx[i],scale=scalex[i]), lwd=2,
col=colors[i])}
legend("topright", inset=.05, title="Distributions",
  labels, lwd=2, lty=c(1, 1, 1, 1, 2), col=colors)
grid()
}

Easiest thing to do: use the optional ylim argument to plot (taking values like
c(0, maxhx) or possibly a little wider) which will let you set the bounds
directly.

Michael

PS It's possible to get the following to be much more easily extensible
using loops and what not, but as its very late in my time zone, I'll wait
til the morning to work it out (for fear of making yet another public mistake
:-P) For now, note that it's perfectly ok to use

maxhx <- max(hx1, hx2, hx3) 

which will save you a few lines. 

On Feb 24, 2012, at 5:58 PM, FJ M <chicagobrownblue at hotmail.com> wrote:
> 
> I am plotting three Pearson Type IV distributions. It looks like I have to
plot the distribution with the highest value of y and then use lines() to add
the two distributions that are shorter / have lower max values of y. The
following code figures out which distribution has the max y value, plots it
first and then uses lines for the other two distributions with a series of three
if statements. This works. I run R from a batch file that reads the following in
a text file.
> 
> I want to graph dozens of distributions and I am looking for a more elegant
way to do this.
> 
> New to R, experienced C programmer, thanks in advance. Frank
> 
> 
> 
> colors <- c("red", "blue", "darkgreen",
"gold", "black")
> labels <- c("1", "2","3")
> pdf("C:\\Users\\Frank\\Documents\\R\\Scripts\\pt4_Graph.pdf")
> ## load Pearson package
> library(PearsonDS)
> ##range for x axis
> no_of_increments<- 100
> x <- seq(-0.06, +0.06, length=no_of_increments)
> ##parameters for the plots of three distributions
> mx<- c(1.95, 18.35,1.93)
> nux<- c(0.08,-1.02,0.25)
> locationx<- c(0.0048,-0.00254,0.00189)
> scalex<- c(0.0115,0.082187,0.026675)
> ## calculate probability density function
> hx1<-
dpearsonIV(x,m=mx[1],nu=nux[1],location=locationx[1],scale=scalex[1])
> hx2<-
dpearsonIV(x,m=mx[2],nu=nux[2],location=locationx[2],scale=scalex[2])
> hx3<-
dpearsonIV(x,m=mx[3],nu=nux[3],location=locationx[3],scale=scalex[3])
> ##calculate max of each distribtion
> maxhx1<- max(hx1)
> maxhx2<- max(hx2)
> maxhx3<- max(hx3)
> maxhx<- max(hx1,hx2,hx3)
> maxhx1
> maxhx2
> maxhx3
> maxhx
> 
> if (maxhx1==maxhx) 
> {plot(x, hx1 , type="l", lwd=2, col=colors[1], xlab="x
value",  ylab="Density", main="pt4")
> for (i in 2:3){
>  lines(x,
dpearsonIV(x,m=mx[i],nu=nux[i],location=locationx[i],scale=scalex[i]), lwd=2,
col=colors[i])}
> legend("topright", inset=.05, title="Distributions",
>  labels, lwd=2, lty=c(1, 1, 1, 1, 2), col=colors)
> grid()
> }
> 
> if (maxhx2==maxhx) {plot(x, hx2 , type="l", lwd=2, xlab="x
value",  ylab="Density", main="SPX", col=colors[2])
> {
>  lines(x,
dpearsonIV(x,m=mx[1],nu=nux[1],location=locationx[1],scale=scalex[1]), lwd=2,
col=colors[1])
>  lines(x,
dpearsonIV(x,m=mx[3],nu=nux[3],location=locationx[3],scale=scalex[3]), lwd=2,
col=colors[3])
> legend("topright", inset=.05, title="Distributions",
>  labels, lwd=2, lty=c(1, 1, 1, 1, 2), col=colors)
> grid()
> }
> 
> if (maxhx3==maxhx) 
> {plot(x, hx3 , type="l", lwd=2, col=colors[3], xlab="x
value",  ylab="Density", main="SPX")
> for (i in 1:2){
>  lines(x,
dpearsonIV(x,m=mx[i],nu=nux[i],location=locationx[i],scale=scalex[i]), lwd=2,
col=colors[i])}
> legend("topright", inset=.05, title="Distributions",
>  labels, lwd=2, lty=c(1, 1, 1, 1, 2), col=colors)
> grid()
> }
> 
>                           
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