Mathematics of switching processes with applications to squash and statistical mechanics
M. A. B. Whitaker · International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology · 1981
A switching process is defined as one where a number of organizations compete for a sequence of rewards, the probability of any organization gaining a particular reward depending on whether it gained the previous reward. An example is the game of squash, where a player may only gain points when serving, the service being transferred only when the server loses a rally. This game is analysed fairly completely. An analogy is developed between this type of statistics, and that involved in the concept of entropy in statistical mechanics.