What is the term for a distribution that has more than one peak?

A distribution that has more than one peak is referred to as multimodal. This term is used to describe the characteristic of a distribution where multiple local maxima, or modes, exist. Each peak in the distribution represents a different mode of the data, indicating the presence of several groups or behaviors within the dataset. For example, in a statistical analysis of test scores, a multimodal distribution might show peaks at both low and high scores, suggesting that there are distinct groups of students with differing performance levels.

In contrast, a unimodal distribution possesses only one peak, indicating a single mode. While multivariate refers to distributions involving multiple variables analyzed simultaneously, it does not specifically address the number of peaks in a distribution. A normal distribution, characterized by its bell shape, is unimodal, as it only has one peak. Thus, identifying the correct terminology is vital for understanding the characteristics of the dataset being analyzed.