eventvary

Eventvary is a term used informally to denote the variability of events in a system. It does not refer to a single, universally accepted statistic; rather, it describes how much the timing, frequency, or type of events fluctuates across observations.

Quantification of eventvary depends on context. Common approaches include the coefficient of variation of inter-event times, the variance of event counts in fixed time windows, or the entropy of event-type distributions. In stochastic process terms, eventvary relates to variability in point processes or renewal processes, capturing how irregular event occurrences are compared with an expected pattern.

Applications of eventvary span several fields. In operations research and queueing theory, it helps characterize arrival burstiness and informs capacity planning. In computer science and software engineering, it describes variability in event-driven systems, user interactions, or sensor readings. In reliability and risk analysis, it models irregular occurrence of failures or incidents, aiding in resilience planning and contingency design.

Examples help illustrate the concept. If a system has inter-arrival times with a mean of 2 minutes and a standard deviation of 1.5 minutes, the coefficient of variation is 0.75, indicating moderate eventvary. If event types are drawn from a highly skewed distribution, high entropy signals greater variability in event composition.

Origin and status: Eventvary is not a standard term in core statistical texts. It appears as a descriptive coinage in some research discussions and datasets to convey a general notion of variability in events rather than a fixed metric.