In statistics and probability theory, a point process is a type of random process for which any one realisation consists of a set of isolated points either in time or geographical space, or in even more general spaces. For example, the occurrence of lightning strikes might be considered as a point process in both time and geographical space if each is recorded according to its location in time and space.
Point processes are well studied objects in probability theory and the subject of powerful tools in statistics for modeling and analyzing spatial data, which is of interest in such diverse disciplines as forestry, plant ecology, epidemiology, geography, seismology, materials science, astronomy, telecommunications, economics and others.
Point processes on the real line form an important special case that is particularly amenable to study, because the different points are ordered in a natural way, and the whole point process can be described completely by the (random) intervals between the points. These point processes are frequently used as models for random events in time, such as the arrival of customers in a queue (queueing theory), of impulses in a neuron (computational neuroscience), particles in a Geiger counter, location of radio stations in a telecommunication network or of searches on the world-wide web.
Read more about Point Process: General Point Process Theory, Point Processes On The Real Half-line, Point Processes in Spatial Statistics
Famous quotes containing the words point and/or process:
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