stochastic

[stuh-kas-tik] /stəˈkæs tɪk/
adjective, Statistics.
1.
of or pertaining to a process involving a randomly determined sequence of observations each of which is considered as a sample of one element from a probability distribution.
Origin
1655-65; < Greek stochastikós, equivalent to stochas- (variant stem of stocházesthai to aim at) + -tikos -tic
Related forms
stochastically, adverb
Examples from the web for stochastic
  • Astrophysics doesn't require stochastic differential equations.
  • Open source communities are hierarchical, not stochastic.
  • The effect is known as stochastic resonance, and it occurs in electronic circuits, global climate models and nerve cells.
  • Renewables are also stochastic, which means you have to lot of conventional power plants as back up.
  • What is new is that stochastic screening techniques have been refined to be practical for daily production.
  • The grand synthesis being taught makes the equilibrium stochastic and dynamic, but that is all.
  • The key to this efficiency is the free energy arriving by stochastic resonance.
  • As described earlier, the duration and hence the maximum size of each bubble are stochastic.
  • Genetic drift results in the extinction of many lineages, and the stochastic rise in frequency of a few lineages.
  • Evolution is a stochastic process, a semi-random series of bumps and false starts that literally made us who were are today.
British Dictionary definitions for stochastic

stochastic

/stɒˈkæstɪk/
adjective
1.
(statistics)
  1. (of a random variable) having a probability distribution, usually with finite variance
  2. (of a process) involving a random variable the successive values of which are not independent
  3. (of a matrix) square with non-negative elements that add to unity in each row
2.
(rare) involving conjecture
Derived Forms
stochastically, adverb
Word Origin
C17: from Greek stokhastikos capable of guessing, from stokhazesthai to aim at, conjecture, from stokhos a target
Word Origin and History for stochastic
adj.

1660s, "pertaining to conjecture," from Greek stokhastikos "able to guess, conjecturing," from stokhazesthai "guess," from stokhos "a guess, aim, target, mark," literally "pointed stick set up for archers to shoot at" (see sting). The sense of "randomly determined" is first recorded 1934, from German stochastik.

stochastic in Science
stochastic
  (stō-kās'tĭk)   

  1. Involving or containing a random variable or variables.

  2. Involving chance or probability.


stochastic in Technology


probabilistic