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Covariance operator

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Operator in probability theory

In probability theory, for a probability measure P on a Hilbert space H with inner product , {\displaystyle \langle \cdot ,\cdot \rangle } , the covariance of P is the bilinear form Cov: H × H → R given by

C o v ( x , y ) = H x , z y , z d P ( z ) {\displaystyle \mathrm {Cov} (x,y)=\int _{H}\langle x,z\rangle \langle y,z\rangle \,\mathrm {d} \mathbf {P} (z)}

for all x and y in H. The covariance operator C is then defined by

C o v ( x , y ) = C x , y {\displaystyle \mathrm {Cov} (x,y)=\langle Cx,y\rangle }

(from the Riesz representation theorem, such operator exists if Cov is bounded). Since Cov is symmetric in its arguments, the covariance operator is self-adjoint.

Even more generally, for a probability measure P on a Banach space B, the covariance of P is the bilinear form on the algebraic dual B, defined by

C o v ( x , y ) = B x , z y , z d P ( z ) {\displaystyle \mathrm {Cov} (x,y)=\int _{B}\langle x,z\rangle \langle y,z\rangle \,\mathrm {d} \mathbf {P} (z)}

where x , z {\displaystyle \langle x,z\rangle } is now the value of the linear functional x on the element z.

Quite similarly, the covariance function of a function-valued random element (in special cases is called random process or random field) z is

C o v ( x , y ) = z ( x ) z ( y ) d P ( z ) = E ( z ( x ) z ( y ) ) {\displaystyle \mathrm {Cov} (x,y)=\int z(x)z(y)\,\mathrm {d} \mathbf {P} (z)=E(z(x)z(y))}

where z(x) is now the value of the function z at the point x, i.e., the value of the linear functional u u ( x ) {\displaystyle u\mapsto u(x)} evaluated at z.

See also

Further reading

References

Analysis in topological vector spaces
Basic concepts
Derivatives
Measurability
Integrals
Results
Related
Functional calculus
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Measure theory
Basic concepts
Sets
Types of measures
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For Lebesgue measure
Applications & related
Hilbert spaces
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