Autocorrelation: How to Manage it
When a process variable has only random variation, each output is independent of the previous ones.This is what happens in a lottery. In some processes this independence does not happen. If we control our daily weight, for instance, our weight today is correlated to the weight of the previous days: it has autocorrelation . Weight Autocorrelation One common case of autocorrelation is shown by our body weight. Our weight today is correlated with: Yesterday's weight: 53% The day before: 39% Body weight has inertia: you don't expect sudden changes. A similar effect happens when you control a heavy aircraft or a ship: its masive weight prevents you from making a sharp turning or make a sudden stop. This opposing force to change is what is called Inertia . This inertia definition applies to moving objects and it is proportional to the object mass. Inertia also applies to fluids: a tank accumulating ...