Calculate F-distribution p values in python?

Question

Suppose that I have an F value and the associated degrees of freedom, df1 and df2. How can I use python to programmatically calculate the p value associated with these numbers?

Note: I would not accept a solution using scipy or statsmodels.

Answer 1

The CDF for the F-distribution (and hence the p-value) can be calculated with the regularized (incomplete) beta function I(x; a, b), see, e.g., MathWorld. Using the code for I(x; a, b) from this blog, which uses only math, the p-value is

1 - incompbeta(.5*df1, .5*df2, float(df1)*F/(df1*F+df2))

Here the result for some sample values, matching scipy.stats.f.sf:

In [57]: F, df1, df2 = 5, 20, 18

In [58]: 1 - incompbeta(.5*df1, .5*df2, float(df1)*F/(df1*F+df2))
Out[58]: 0.0005812207389501722

In [59]: st.f.sf(F, df1, df2)
Out[59]: 0.00058122073922042188

Just in case the blog disappears, here the code:

import math

def incompbeta(a, b, x):

    ''' incompbeta(a,b,x) evaluates incomplete beta function, here a, b > 0 and 0 <= x <= 1. This function requires contfractbeta(a,b,x, ITMAX = 200) 
    (Code translated from: Numerical Recipes in C.)'''

    if (x == 0):
        return 0;
    elif (x == 1):
        return 1;
    else:
        lbeta = math.lgamma(a+b) - math.lgamma(a) - math.lgamma(b) + a * math.log(x) + b * math.log(1-x)
        if (x < (a+1) / (a+b+2)):
            return math.exp(lbeta) * contfractbeta(a, b, x) / a;
        else:
            return 1 - math.exp(lbeta) * contfractbeta(b, a, 1-x) / b;

def contfractbeta(a,b,x, ITMAX = 200):

    """ contfractbeta() evaluates the continued fraction form of the incomplete Beta function; incompbeta().  
    (Code translated from: Numerical Recipes in C.)"""

    EPS = 3.0e-7
    bm = az = am = 1.0
    qab = a+b
    qap = a+1.0
    qam = a-1.0
    bz = 1.0-qab*x/qap

    for i in range(ITMAX+1):
        em = float(i+1)
        tem = em + em
        d = em*(b-em)*x/((qam+tem)*(a+tem))
        ap = az + d*am
        bp = bz+d*bm
        d = -(a+em)*(qab+em)*x/((qap+tem)*(a+tem))
        app = ap+d*az
        bpp = bp+d*bz
        aold = az
        am = ap/bpp
        bm = bp/bpp
        az = app/bpp
        bz = 1.0
        if (abs(az-aold)<(EPS*abs(az))):
            return az

    print 'a or b too large or given ITMAX too small for computing incomplete beta function.'