The Poisson distribution can be used to approximate the binomial distribution under certain circumstances.

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The Poisson distribution can be used as an approximation for the binomial distribution when the number of trials is large (n → ∞) and the probability of success is small (p → 0), such that np = λ, where λ is the average rate of occurrence. This is known as the Poisson limit of the binomial distribution.

The Poisson Distribution Can Be Used to Approximate the Binomial