seniorT-SQL
What is SQL Server statistics histogram density vector deep structure?
Updated May 17, 2026
Short answer
Statistics consist of histograms and density vectors used for cardinality estimation.
Deep explanation
SQL Server statistics include a histogram (up to 200 steps) that represents value distribution and a density vector that estimates selectivity for equality predicates. The histogram captures distribution skew, while density assumes uniformity for unknown values. The optimizer combines both structures to estimate row counts.
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