ABSTRACT
This chapter is concerned with a general framework in which we consider stochastic processes. We also discuss some general properties of processes. In Chapter 13, we turn to concrete schemes.
As we have already defined in Chapter 5, a stochastic or random process is a collection of r.v.’s {Xt}, where t is a running parameter. If we view t as time, the process Xt may present the evolution of a characteristic of a phenomenon in time. However, in general, t may be of any nature. For instance, t can represent the distance from the beginning of a trench dug by a gold miner to a particular place in the trench. Then Xt could represent the (random) concentration of gold at point t.
