# A Model of the Commit Size Distribution of Open Source

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1408.4974 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1408.4974/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 21 Aug 2014.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [AICD Bench: A Challenging Benchmark for AI-Generated Code Detection](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.02079/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

A fundamental unit of work in programming is the code contribution ("commit") that a developer makes to the code base of the project in work. We use statistical methods to derive a model of the probabilistic distribution of commit sizes in open source projects and we show that the model is applicable to different project sizes. We use both graphical as well as statistical methods to validate the goodness of fit of our model. By measuring and modeling a fundamental dimension of programming we help improve software development tools and our understanding of software development.