Geostatistics

task of grouping a set of objects in such a way that objects in the same group (called a cluster) are more similar (in some sense or another) to each other than to those in other groups (clusters)

thumb|270x270px|Overview of different interpolation methods for the same data points of a terrain surface Geostatistics is a branch of statistics focusing on spatial or spatiotemporal datasets. Developed originally to predict probability distributions of ore grades for mining operations, it is currently applied in diverse disciplines including petroleum geology, hydrogeology, hydrology, meteorology, oceanography, geochemistry, geometallurgy, geography, forestry, environmental control, landscape ecology, soil science, and agriculture (esp. in precision farming). Geostatistics is applied in vari

thumb|400px|Example of one-dimensional data interpolation by kriging, with credible intervals. Squares indicate the location of the data. The kriging interpolation, shown in red, runs along the means of the normally distributed credible intervals shown in gray. The dashed curve shows a spline that is smooth, but departs significantly from the expected values given by those means.

thumb|Schematisation of a variogram. The points represent the measured data points (observed) and the curve represents the model function used (empirical). Range stands for the range sought, sill for the plateau value reached at maximum range, nugget for the nugget effect.

1919-2013 South African mining engineer

class of algorithms for pattern analysis

French mathematician and geologist (1930-2000)

multivariate interpolation algorithm

Function in probability theory