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philentropy
What philentropy is
philentropy is a free R package for comparing probability density functions and working with information-theory measures. Its distance() function provides 46 probability distance and similarity measures. The package also calculates Shannon, joint and conditional entropy, mutual information, Kullback–Leibler divergence and Jensen–Shannon divergence. It can estimate probability vectors from counts and compare many probability density functions. Inputs can be supplied as R matrices or data.frames. The stated applications include clustering, classification, statistical inference, goodness-of-fit, non-parametric statistics, information theory and machine learning involving probability functions. The project describes scientific work with univariate and multivariate probability functions, including fields such as mathematics and ecology. Version 0.10.0 records a distance-engine refactor using C++ template metaprogramming and RcppParallel for speed and memory improvements. Installation is available through CRAN or a developer version from GitHub. The project is GPL-2 licensed.
Who it suits
philentropy suits R users working with probability functions in scientific, statistical or machine-learning projects. It is intended for univariate and multivariate comparisons across disciplines including mathematics and ecology.
What it does well
- 46 probability distance and similarity measures
- Calculates several entropy and divergence measures
- Accepts R matrix and data.frame inputs
- Estimates probability vectors from counts
- Available free under GPL-2 license
What to know first
- Requires R package environment
- Focused on probability-function analysis
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| philentropy | R package · GPL-2 licensed | Free |
As drostlab.github.io lists them, read 12 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
philentropy provides a broad set of probability distances and information-theory calculations in a free R package. Its inputs, scientific use cases and CRAN or GitHub installation options make its scope clear for R-based analysis.
Facts from philentropy's own pages
- Data import formats
- R matrix, data.frame · drostlab.github.io, 24 Sept 2026
- Deployment
- desktop · drostlab.github.io, 24 Sept 2026
- Distance methods
- Its distance() function implements 46 probability distance and similarity measures. · drostlab.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · drostlab.github.io, 24 Sept 2026
- Information theory
- The package includes functions for Shannon entropy, joint entropy, conditional entropy, mutual information, Kullback–Leibler divergence, and Jensen–Shannon divergence. · drostlab.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Input handling
- The package can estimate probability vectors from counts and compare many probability density functions. · drostlab.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Installation
- The site provides installation instructions for the CRAN package and a developer version installable from GitHub. · drostlab.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The CRAN package imports Rcpp, RcppParallel, KernSmooth, and poorman. · cloud.r-project.org, 12 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The introduction says the package is aimed at scientific work comparing univariate or multivariate probability functions across disciplines including mathematics and ecology. · drostlab.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- License
- The project lists GPL-2 as its license. · drostlab.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Maintainer
- The project identifies Hajk-Georg Drost as author and maintainer and says he develops philentropy in his spare time. · drostlab.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Performance
- The 0.10.0 changelog says the distance calculation engine was refactored with C++ template metaprogramming and RcppParallel for speed and memory usage improvements. · drostlab.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Platforms
- CRAN lists Windows and macOS binaries and provides a source package; its package information lists R as a dependency. · cloud.r-project.org, 12 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- The R package implements distance and similarity measures for comparing probability density functions and information theory measures. · drostlab.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Scripting support
- Yes · drostlab.github.io, 24 Sept 2026
- Support
- The project links to GitHub for reporting bugs. · drostlab.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
- Use cases
- The package is intended for clustering, classification, statistical inference, goodness-of-fit, non-parametric statistics, information theory, and machine learning tasks involving probability functions. · drostlab.github.io, 12 Oct 2026
Where philentropy stands on Freedom251
- Statistical Analysis Software#37 of 106