Distribution of random vectors - MathOverflow most recent 30 from http://mathoverflow.net 2013-05-20T19:53:17Z http://mathoverflow.net/feeds/question/108489 http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5/rdf http://mathoverflow.net/questions/108489/distribution-of-random-vectors Distribution of random vectors puzzly 2012-09-30T19:25:53Z 2012-09-30T19:25:53Z <p>Two positive numbers $\alpha$ and $\beta$ are given. We are going to describe a process of choosing a random vector on the unit sphere $S$ in $\mathbb R^3$ (given by $x^2+y^2+z^2=1$).</p> <p>A vector $u\in S$ is chosen uniformly at random in the spherical disc with center $(0,0,1)$ and radius $\alpha$ on the sphere. After that a vector $v\in S$ is chosen uniformly at random on the spherical circle with center $u$ and radius $\beta$. </p> <p>Can we describe the distribution of $v$ on the sphere (e.g., by specifying its density function or otherwise)? Clearly, $v$ lies in the spherical disc around $(0,0,1)$ of radius $\alpha+\beta$, however its distribution doesn't seem to be uniform. Can we estimate somehow the most frequent angle that $v$ subtends with $(0,0,1)$? The answer should certainly depend on $\alpha$ and $\beta$.</p> <p>(By a "spherical disc" with center $c$ and radius $r$ we understand the set of points on the sphere whose distance from $c$ is at most $r$. Similarly, a "spherical circle" with center $c$ and radius $r$ is the set of points on the sphere whose distance from $c$ is exactly $r$.)</p> <p>This question arouse related to the distribution of the polarization vector in a randomly grained polycrystalline material (ceramics).</p>