Probability – Minimum Expected Distance Between Two Points in a Poisson Point Process

point-processespoisson processprobabilityprobability distributions

If I have cellular base-stations distributed as a PPP $\Phi_C$ with $\lambda_c$ density. Then the pdf of distribution is well known i.e. $$P[N = n] = \frac{(\lambda_c\pi r^2)^n}{n!}e^{-\lambda_c\pi r^2}$$

My Take (I will be glad for any alternate answer)

The probability that n=1 is then $$P[N=1] = (\lambda_c\pi r^2)e^{-\lambda_c\pi r^2} = 1$$
$$ln(r)r^2 = -\frac{1}{2\lambda_c^2\pi^2}$$
How can I proceed further to find $r$ (minimum distance between two points)?. Or should I take the Expectation with $N=1$?

Best Answer

I doubt there is an easy answer to "minimum distance between two points" in a finite area (there is a positive probability there are not two base-stations), and it will have a limit of $0$ in an infinite area

There is an answer to the question about the distribution of the distance to nearest base-station from a given location (in an infinite area):

  • The probability there is no base-station within radius $r$ is $P_r(N=0)=e^{-\lambda_c\pi r^2}$

  • so the probability the nearest base-station is within radius $r$ is $P(R \le r) =P_r(N\ge 1)=1-e^{-\lambda_c\pi r^2}$

  • so the probability density for the distance to the nearest base station is $f(r)= 2 \lambda_c\pi r e^{-\lambda_c\pi r^2}$

  • so the expectation of the distance to the nearest base station is $E[R]=\dfrac{1}{2 \sqrt{\lambda_c}}$

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