Anhäufung

Anhäufung is a German noun describing the act or result of accumulating, piling up, or gathering together objects, substances, or phenomena. It can denote a physical pile, a collection of items, or a concentration of events or data. The term is used across disciplines to describe a non-uniform aggregation or clustering rather than a uniform distribution.

In mathematics, Anhäufung is closely related to the concept of accumulation or limit points. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with Häufungspunkt to denote a point that is approached by points of a set A. More precisely, x is an accumulation point of A if every neighborhood of x contains a point of A other than x. In analytic contexts, Anhäufung describes the tendency of sequences or sets to cluster near certain values.

In statistics and data analysis, Anhäufung commonly refers to clustering or aggregation of data points. It can indicate that observations are not evenly spread but concentrate in certain regions or values. In quality control or error analysis, one speaks of the accumulation (Kumulierung) of errors over time.

In the natural and archaeological sciences, Anhäufung is used for tangible deposits or piles, such as a heap of artifacts, sediment accumulation, or debris heaps, where the focus is on physical buildup rather than a distribution pattern.

Etymology: from the verb häufen (to heap up) with the suffix -ung, forming a noun for the process or result.