下面是Python 3.6标准库中包含的版本:

import itertools as _itertools
import bisect as _bisect

class Random36(random.Random):
    "Show the code included in the Python 3.6 version of the Random class"

    def choices(self, population, weights=None, *, cum_weights=None, k=1):
        """Return a k sized list of population elements chosen with replacement.

        If the relative weights or cumulative weights are not specified,
        the selections are made with equal probability.

        """
        random = self.random
        if cum_weights is None:
            if weights is None:
                _int = int
                total = len(population)
                return [population[_int(random() * total)] for i in range(k)]
            cum_weights = list(_itertools.accumulate(weights))
        elif weights is not None:
            raise TypeError('Cannot specify both weights and cumulative weights')
        if len(cum_weights) != len(population):
            raise ValueError('The number of weights does not match the population')
        bisect = _bisect.bisect
        total = cum_weights[-1]
        return [population[bisect(cum_weights, random() * total)] for i in range(k)]

来源:https://hg.python.org/cpython/file/tip/Lib/random.py l340

另一种方法是，假设我们的权重与元素数组中的元素的下标相同。

import numpy as np
weights = [0.1, 0.3, 0.5] #weights for the item at index 0,1,2
# sum of weights should be <=1, you can also divide each weight by sum of all weights to standardise it to <=1 constraint.
trials = 1 #number of trials
num_item = 1 #number of items that can be picked in each trial
selected_item_arr = np.random.multinomial(num_item, weights, trials)
# gives number of times an item was selected at a particular index
# this assumes selection with replacement
# one possible output
# selected_item_arr
# array([[0, 0, 1]])
# say if trials = 5, the the possible output could be 
# selected_item_arr
# array([[1, 0, 0],
#   [0, 0, 1],
#   [0, 0, 1],
#   [0, 1, 0],
#   [0, 0, 1]])

现在我们假设，我们要在一次试验中抽取3个项目。你可以假设有三个球R、G、B大量存在，它们的权重由权重数组给定，可能的结果如下:

num_item = 3
trials = 1
selected_item_arr = np.random.multinomial(num_item, weights, trials)
# selected_item_arr can give output like :
# array([[1, 0, 2]])

您还可以将要选择的项目数量视为一组中二项/多项试验的数量。所以，上面的例子仍然可以作为工作

num_binomial_trial = 5
weights = [0.1,0.9] #say an unfair coin weights for H/T
num_experiment_set = 1
selected_item_arr = np.random.multinomial(num_binomial_trial, weights, num_experiment_set)
# possible output
# selected_item_arr
# array([[1, 4]])
# i.e H came 1 time and T came 4 times in 5 binomial trials. And one set contains 5 binomial trails.

我可能已经来不及提供任何有用的东西了，但这里有一个简单，简短，非常有效的片段:

def choose_index(probabilies):
    cmf = probabilies[0]
    choice = random.random()
    for k in xrange(len(probabilies)):
        if choice <= cmf:
            return k
        else:
            cmf += probabilies[k+1]

不需要排序你的概率或用你的cmf创建一个向量，它一旦找到它的选择就会终止。内存:O(1)，时间:O(N)，平均运行时间~ N/2。

如果你有权重，只需添加一行:

def choose_index(weights):
    probabilities = weights / sum(weights)
    cmf = probabilies[0]
    choice = random.random()
    for k in xrange(len(probabilies)):
        if choice <= cmf:
            return k
        else:
            cmf += probabilies[k+1]

def weighted_choice(choices):
   total = sum(w for c, w in choices)
   r = random.uniform(0, total)
   upto = 0
   for c, w in choices:
      if upto + w >= r:
         return c
      upto += w
   assert False, "Shouldn't get here"

粗糙的，但可能足够:

import random
weighted_choice = lambda s : random.choice(sum(([v]*wt for v,wt in s),[]))

这有用吗?

# define choices and relative weights
choices = [("WHITE",90), ("RED",8), ("GREEN",2)]

# initialize tally dict
tally = dict.fromkeys(choices, 0)

# tally up 1000 weighted choices
for i in xrange(1000):
    tally[weighted_choice(choices)] += 1

print tally.items()

打印:

[('WHITE', 904), ('GREEN', 22), ('RED', 74)]

假设所有权重都是整数。它们的和不一定是100，我这么做只是为了让测试结果更容易理解。(如果权重是浮点数，则将它们都乘以10，直到所有权重>= 1。)

weights = [.6, .2, .001, .199]
while any(w < 1.0 for w in weights):
    weights = [w*10 for w in weights]
weights = map(int, weights)

步骤1:生成您感兴趣的CDF F

步骤2:生成u.r.v. u

步骤3:求z=F^{-1}(u)

这种建模在概率论或随机过程课程中有描述。这是适用的，因为您有简单的CDF。