function exponentialDistributionNumber(start = 1, stepScale = 2, stepProbability = 0.5, limit = Number.MAX_SAFE_INTEGER) {
    let max = start;
    while(faker.datatype.boolean(stepProbability) && max < limit) {
        max *= stepScale;
    }
    return faker.number.int({ min: 0, max: Math.min(max, limit) });
}

/**
 * Generates a random number between min and max using an exponential distribution.
 * The lower bound is inclusive, but the upper bound is exclusive.
 *
 * @param options The options for generating the number.
 * @param options.min The minimum value to generate. Defaults to `0`.
 * @param options.max The maximum value to generate. Defaults to `1`.
 * @param options.bias The bias of the distribution. Must be greater than 0. Defaults to 1.
 * The lower the bias, the more likely the number will be closer to the min ([email protected] -> avg: ~0.025).
 * A bias of 1 will generate the default exponential distribution (0-1@1 -> avg: ~0.202).
 * The higher the bias, the more likely the number will be closer to the max (0-1@10 -> avg: ~0.691).
 *
 * @throws If bias is less than or equal to 0.
 * @throws If max is less than min.
 */
function exponentialDistributionNumber(
  options:
    | number
    | {
        /**
         * The minimum value to generate.
         *
         * @default 0
         */
        min?: number;
        /**
         * The maximum value to generate.
         *
         * @default 1
         */
        max?: number;
        /**
         * The bias of the distribution. Must be greater than 0.
         *
         * The lower the bias, the more likely the number will be closer to the min ([email protected] -> avg ~0.025).
         * A bias of 1 will generate the default exponential distribution (0-1@1 -> avg ~0.202).
         * The higher the bias, the more likely the number will be closer to the max (0-1@10 -> avg ~0.691).
         *
         * @default 1
         */
        bias?: number;
      }
) {
  if (typeof options === 'number') {
    options = { max: options };
  }

  const { min = 0, max = 1, bias = 1 } = options;

  if (bias <= 0) {
    throw new FakerError('Bias must be greater than 0');
  }

  if (max === min) {
    return min;
  }

  if (max < min) {
    throw new FakerError(`Max ${max} should be greater than min ${min}.`);
  }

  const random = faker.number.float(); // [0,1)
  const exponent = random ** (1 / bias); // [0,1)
  const range = max - min + 1; // +1 to account for x ** 0 = 1
  return min + range ** exponent - 1; // -1 to account for x ** 0 = 1
}

/**
 * Generates a random number between min and max using an exponential distribution.
 * The lower bound is inclusive, but the upper bound is exclusive.
 *
 * @param options The options for generating the number.
 * @param options.min The minimum value to generate (inclusive). Defaults to `0`.
 * @param options.max The maximum value to generate (exclusive). Defaults to `1`.
 * @param options.base The base of the exponential distribution. Must be greater than 0. Defaults to `2`.
 * The higher/more above 1 the base, the more likely the number will be closer to the minimum value.
 * The lower/closer to zero the base, the more likely the number will be closer to the maximum value.
 * Values of 1 will generate a uniform distribution.
 *
 * The following table shows the rough distribution of values generated using `Math.floor(exponentialDistributionNumber({ min: 0, max: 10, base: x }))`:
 *
 * | Value | Base 0.1 | Base 0.5 | Base 1 | Base 2 | Base 10 |
 * | :---: | -------: | -------: | -----: | -----: | ------: |
 * |   0   |     4.1% |     7.4% |  10.0% |  13.8% |   27.8% |
 * |   1   |     4.5% |     7.8% |  10.0% |  12.5% |   16.9% |
 * |   2   |     5.0% |     8.2% |  10.0% |  11.5% |   12.1% |
 * |   3   |     5.7% |     8.7% |  10.0% |  10.7% |    9.4% |
 * |   4   |     6.6% |     9.3% |  10.0% |  10.0% |    7.8% |
 * |   5   |     7.8% |     9.9% |  10.0% |   9.3% |    6.6% |
 * |   6   |     9.4% |    10.7% |  10.0% |   8.8% |    5.7% |
 * |   7   |    12.1% |    11.5% |  10.0% |   8.2% |    5.0% |
 * |   8   |    16.9% |    12.6% |  10.0% |   7.8% |    4.5% |
 * |   9   |    27.9% |    13.8% |  10.0% |   7.5% |    4.1% |
 *
 * Can alternatively be configured using the `bias` option. `base` takes precedence over `bias`.
 *
 * Defaults to `2`.
 *
 * @param options.bias An alternative way to specify the `base`. Also accepts values below zero.
 * The higher/more positive the bias, the more likely the number will be closer to the maximum value.
 * The lower/more negative the bias, the more likely the number will be closer to the minimum value.
 * Values of 0 will generate a uniform distribution.
 *
 * The following table shows the rough distribution of values generated using `Math.floor(exponentialDistributionNumber({ min: 0, max: 10, bias: x }))`:
 *
 * | Value | Bias -9 | Bias -1 | Bias 0 | Bias 1 | Bias 9 |
 * | :---: | ------: | ------: | -----: | -----: | -----: |
 * |   0   |   27.9% |   13.7% |  10.0% |   7.4% |   4.1% |
 * |   1   |   16.9% |   12.5% |  10.0% |   7.8% |   4.5% |
 * |   2   |   12.1% |   11.6% |  10.0% |   8.3% |   5.1% |
 * |   3   |    9.5% |   10.7% |  10.0% |   8.8% |   5.7% |
 * |   4   |    7.8% |   10.0% |  10.0% |   9.3% |   6.6% |
 * |   5   |    6.6% |    9.3% |  10.0% |   9.9% |   7.7% |
 * |   6   |    5.7% |    8.8% |  10.0% |  10.7% |   9.5% |
 * |   7   |    5.0% |    8.2% |  10.0% |  11.5% |  12.1% |
 * |   8   |    4.5% |    7.8% |  10.0% |  12.6% |  16.8% |
 * |   9   |    4.1% |    7.4% |  10.0% |  13.7% |  27.9% |
 *
 * This option is ignored if `base` is specified.
 *
 * Defaults to `-1`.
 *
 * @throws If base is less than or equal to `0`.
 * @throws If max is less than min.
 */
function exponentialDistributionNumber(
  options:
    | number
    | {
        /**
         * The minimum value to generate (inclusive).
         *
         * @default 0
         */
        min?: number;
        /**
         * The maximum value to generate (exclusive).
         *
         * @default 1
         */
        max?: number;
        /**
         * The base of the exponential distribution. Must be greater than 0. Defaults to `2`.
         * The higher/more above 1 the base, the more likely the number will be closer to the minimum value.
         * The lower/closer to zero the base, the more likely the number will be closer to the maximum value.
         * Values of 1 will generate a uniform distribution.
         * Can alternatively be configured using the `bias` option. `base` takes precedence over `bias`.
         *
         * @default 2
         */
        base?: number;
        /**
         * An alternative way to specify the `base`. Also accepts values below zero.
         * The higher/more positive the bias, the more likely the number will be closer to the maximum value.
         * The lower/more negative the bias, the more likely the number will be closer to the minimum value.
         * Values of 0 will generate a uniform distribution.
         * This option is ignored if `base` is specified.
         *
         * @default -1
         */
        bias?: number;
      }
) {
  if (typeof options === 'number') {
    options = { min: 0, max: options };
  }

  const {
    min = 0,
    max = 1,
    bias = -1,
    base = bias <= 0 ? -bias + 1 : 1 / (bias + 1),
  } = options;

  if (base === 1) {
    return faker.number.float({ min, max });
  } else if (base <= 0) {
    throw new FakerError('Base must be greater than 0');
  }

  if (max === min) {
    return min;
  } else if (max < min) {
    throw new FakerError(`Max ${max} should be greater than min ${min}.`);
  }

  const exponent = faker.number.float();
  const factor = (base ** exponent - 1) / (base - 1);
  return min + (max - min) * factor;
}