Probability of Relations on Uniform Distribution Over 2D Space Explained

probability

Assume a set of nodes is scattered over a 2D surface $\mathcal{S}$ so that for any given $\mathcal{A} \subset \mathcal{S}$, the number of nodes inside $\mathcal{A}$ follows a Poisson distribution with parameter $|\mathcal{A}| \rho$, where $|\mathcal{A}|$ shows the area of the subset $\mathcal{A}$ and $\rho$ is the intensity of the points (average number of points per unit area).

We are only interested in the points inside a given circle with radius $r$. The number of nodes inside the circle is a Poisson variable with parameter $\rho \pi r^2$. We pick two nodes from inside the circle at random. Let $d_1$ and $d_2$ show the distance of the first and the second node from the center of the circle.

2D Distribution

How can I compute the probability of the event:

$$
{d_1}^2 < \frac{{d_2}^2}{A(1+B{d_2}^2)}
$$
where $A$ and $B$ are constants.

Edit:

  1. Assume $A > 0$ and $B > 0$.

  2. I am interested in the process itself, not the points generated by the process (as whuber described in his answer below).

  3. How about the case that ${d_1}^2$ and ${d_2}^2$ is replaced with ${d_1}^\alpha$ and ${d_2}^\alpha$ for $\alpha > 2$ (I guess, this modifies the problem since ${d_1}^\alpha$ and ${d_2}^\alpha$ are not uniformly distributed anymore).

Best Answer

There are at least two interpretations: one concerns the actual points generated by this process and the other concerns the process itself.

If a realization of the Poisson process is given and pairs of points are to be chosen from that realization, then there is nothing to be done except systematically compare all distances to all other distances (a double loop over the points).

Otherwise, if the procedure is intended to consist of (i) creating a realization of the process and then (ii) selecting a pair of points at random, then the assumptions imply the two points are selected uniformly and independently from the circle. The calculation for this situation can be performed once and for all.

Notice that the squared distances $r_1 = d_1^2$ and $r_2 = d_2^2$ are uniformly distributed, whence the desired probability is

$$p(a,b) = \Pr\left(d_1^2 \lt \frac{d_2^2}{a(1 + b d_2^2)}\right) = \int_0^1 d r_2 \int_0^{\max(0, \min(1, r_2 / (a(1 + b r_2))))} d r_1.$$

The $\max$ and $\min$ can be handled by breaking into cases. Some special values of $a$ and $b$ have to be handled. Because the integration is a square window over a region generically bounded by lines and lobes of a hyperbola (with vertical axis at $1/(ab)$ and horizontal axis at $-1/b$), the result is straightforward but messy; it should involve rational expressions in $a$ and $b$ and some inverse hyperbolic functions (that is, natural logarithms). I had Mathematica write it out:

$$\begin{array}{ll} \frac{b+1}{b} & \left(-1\leq a<0\land \frac{1}{a}-b\leq 1\land b<-1\right)\\ &\lor \left(a<-1\land \frac{1}{a}-b<1\land b<-1\right) \\ -\frac{1}{b (a b-1)} & \frac{1}{a}-b=1\land a<-1 \\ \frac{a^2 b+2 a b+a-2}{2 (a b-1)} & b=0\land a>0\land \frac{1}{a}-b>1 \\ \frac{b-\log (b+1)}{a b^2} & a>0\land \frac{1}{a}-b\leq 1\land b>-1 \\ \frac{a b^2+a b-a b \log (b+1)-b+\log (b+1)}{a b^2 (a b-1)} & a>0\land \frac{1}{a}-b\leq 1\land b\leq -1 \\ \frac{\log (1-a b)}{a b^2} & a>0\land \frac{1}{a}-b>1\land b\leq -1 \\ \frac{a b^2+a b+\log (1-a b)}{a b^2} & \left(-1<b<0\land a>0\land \frac{1}{a}-b>1\right) \\ & \lor \left(b>0\land a>0\land \frac{1}{a}-b>1\right) \\ \frac{b-\log ((-b-1) (a b-1))}{a b^2} & a<0\land \frac{1}{a}-b>1 \end{array}$$

Numeric integration and simulation over the ranges $-2 \le a \le 2$ and $-5 \le b \le 5$ confirm these results.

Edit

The modified question asks to replace $d_i^2$ by $d_i^\alpha$ and assumes $a$ and $b$ both positive. Upon making a substitution $r_i = d_i^\alpha$, the region of integration remains the same and integrand becomes $(2/\alpha)^2(r_1 r_2)^{2/\alpha-1}$ instead of $1$. Writing $\theta = \alpha/2$, we obtain

$$\frac{1}{2} a^{-1/\theta } \, _2F_1\left(\frac{1}{\theta },\frac{2}{\theta };\frac{\theta +2}{\theta };-b\right)$$

when $(a>0\land a<1\land a b+a\geq 1)$ or $a\geq 1$ and otherwise the result is

$$-a^{\frac{1}{\theta }} \left(\frac{1}{1-a b}\right)^{\frac{1}{\theta }}+\frac{1}{2} a^{\frac{1}{\theta }} (1-a b)^{-2/\theta } \, _2F_1\left(\frac{1}{\theta },\frac{2}{\theta };\frac{\theta +2}{\theta };1+\frac{1}{a b-1}\right)+1.$$

Here, $_2F_1$ is the hypergeometric function. The original case of $\alpha=2$ corresponds to $\theta=1$ and then these formulae reduce to the fourth and seventh of the eight previous cases. I have checked this result with a simulation, letting $\theta$ range from $1$ through $3$ and covering substantial ranges of $a$ and $b$.

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