Estocásticos

Estocásticos is a term derived from the Greek word "stokhos," meaning target or guess. In mathematics and statistics, it refers to phenomena that are random or unpredictable in their behavior. Processes that are described as stochastic involve an element of chance, and their outcomes cannot be determined with certainty in advance. Instead, their future states are governed by probability distributions.

Stochastic processes are widely used to model systems that exhibit randomness over time. Examples include the fluctuation of stock prices, the movement of particles in a fluid (Brownian motion), the spread of diseases, and the decay of radioactive substances. These models do not predict exact future values but rather the likelihood of different outcomes.

Key concepts associated with stochastic processes include random variables, probability distributions, and time evolution. A random variable is a variable whose value is a numerical outcome of a random phenomenon. Probability distributions describe the likelihood of each possible value of a random variable. The time evolution of a stochastic process describes how the probabilities of different states change over time.

The study of stochastic processes is crucial in various fields, including finance, physics, engineering, biology, and computer science, for understanding, predicting, and managing uncertain systems. Techniques like Monte Carlo simulations are often employed to analyze and approximate the behavior of complex stochastic models.