random walk

American  

noun

1. Statistics. the path taken by a point or quantity that moves in steps, where the direction of each step is determined randomly.

2. Physics. the tendency of particles in random motion to achieve a net displacement or to drift in a particular direction.

---

random walk British  

noun

1. a mathematical model used to describe physical processes, such as diffusion, in which a particle moves in straight-line steps of constant length but random direction

2. statistics a route consisting of successive and connected steps in which each step is chosen by a random mechanism uninfluenced by any previous step

---

Etymology

Origin of random walk

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

"This work shows how the random walk of proteins in cells is linked to disease pathology."

From Science Daily

“It might be cycling back and forth but it might also be on a random walk,” Vidale said.

From Los Angeles Times

Over-interpreting randomness is an occupational hazard when monitoring the random walk of financial markets, while resisting any temptation provides an opportunity for the cognitively savvy investor.

From BBC

We meet the “mosquito man,” Sir Ronald Ross, whose study “The Logical Basis of the Sanitary Policy of Mosquito Reduction” became the foundation of the so-called random walk theory.

From New York Times

Trump’s random walk down the policy spectrum stands in stark contrast to other American leaders and public health organizations.

From New York Times