A Fractal Approach to Dynamic Inference and Distribution Analysis

Autor: Marieke M.J.W. van Rooij, Bertha eNash, Srinivasan eRajaraman, John G. Holden
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2013
Předmět:
Zdroj: Frontiers in Physiology, Vol 4 (2013)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1664-042X
DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2013.00001
Popis: Event-distributions inform scientists about the variability and dispersion of repeated measurements. This dispersion can be understood from a complex systems perspective, and quantified in terms of fractal geometry. The key premise is that a distribution’s shape reveals information about the governing dynamics of the system that gave rise to the distribution. Two categories of characteristic dynamics are distinguished: additive systems governed by component-dominant dynamics and multiplicative or interdependent systems governed by interaction-dominant dynamics. A logic by which systems governed by interaction-dominant dynamics are expected to yield mixtures of lognormal and inverse power-law samples is discussed. These mixtures are described by a so-called cocktail model of response times derived from human cognitive performances. The overarching goals of this article are twofold: First, to offer readers an introduction to this theoretical perspective and second, to offer an overview of the related statistical methods.
Databáze: Directory of Open Access Journals