# Does this scaled version of a Poisson distribution have a name?

I have this probability distribution:

$$P(\{X=x\})=\frac{\lambda^x\exp(-\lambda)}{x!(1-\exp(-\lambda))}$$

where $x\in \mathbb{N}$. If not for this factor $\frac{1}{1-\exp(-\lambda)}$, this would be Poisson distribution. What is its name?

• For what values of $x$? Are you sure the probabilities sum to $1$? – Juho Kokkala Dec 14 '15 at 16:48
• Hint: what values can $x$ take? – Scortchi - Reinstate Monica Dec 14 '15 at 16:48
• @JuhoKokkala: Snap! – Scortchi - Reinstate Monica Dec 14 '15 at 16:48
• You must specify the range of $x$! Without that, the definition is not precise. We cannot, for instance, decide if the probabilities sum to 1 or not. – kjetil b halvorsen Dec 14 '15 at 16:49
• Where does $\mathbb{N}$ start for you? Nought or one? – Scortchi - Reinstate Monica Dec 14 '15 at 16:50

I have found the name. It's called "Zero-truncated Poisson distribution".

Source: Johnson L., Kemp A., Kotz S., Univariate Discrete Distributions 3rd edition, Wiley, p. 188

• (+1) Note that $\exp(-\lambda) = \Pr(X=0)$ when $X$ is a Poisson random variable. So the mass function can be recognized as $\frac{\Pr(X=x)}{\Pr(X >0)}=\Pr(X=x \mid x>0)$, the Poisson probability of a count conditional on its being greater than nought. – Scortchi - Reinstate Monica Dec 15 '15 at 11:41