Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: [Phys-l] Is the Poisson distribution appropriate to describe the bunched arrival of shoppers at the pay point?



Also, I would love to see an attempt to apply this to the snowplowing disaster in NYC this past week.

:-)

Bob at PC
________________________________________
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu [phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of John Denker [jsd@av8n.com]
Sent: Thursday, December 30, 2010 1:01 PM
To: Forum for Physics Educators
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Is the Poisson distribution appropriate to describe the bunched arrival of shoppers at the pay point?

I reckon the arrival of shoppers is approximately Poisson, in the
sense that Holstein cattle are approximately black. That makes
sense if you think the sun rises at unpredictable times, people
get off work at unpredictable times, weekends arrive unpredictably,
the Christmas shopping season arrives unpredictably, and shoppers
would never avoid shopping at times when they expect (or observe)
the place to be crowded.
_______________________________________________
Forum for Physics Educators
Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l