Latency Distributions and Tail Behavior
A mean compresses a distribution into one number and can hide the rare delays that define user-visible or deadline-sensitive behavior.
Planned model
Generate mixtures of fast and slow paths. Compare mean, median, percentiles, maximum, histogram, and survival curve as rare events change.
Questions
- What population and time interval does a percentile summarize?
- How many samples support a claimed high percentile?
- How do correlated pauses affect end-to-end tail latency?
Exercise
Interpret two systems with equal means but different p99 and p99.99 behavior, then choose one for a stated deadline.