The Spectral Analysis of Point Processes

SUMMARY The spectral analysis of stationary point processes in one dimension is developed in some detail as a statistical method of analysis. The asymptotic sampling theory previously established by the author for a class of doubly stochastic Poisson processes is shown to apply also for a class of clustering processes, the spectra of which are contrasted with those of renewal processes. The analysis is given for two illustrative examples, one an artificial Poisson process, the other of some traffic data. In addition to testing the fit of a clustering model to the latter example, the analysis of these two examples is used where possible to check the validity of the sampling theory.