The scaling limit of Poisson-driven order statistics with applications in geometric probability
arXiv:1201.5282
Abstract
Let be a Poisson point process of intensity on some state space $\Y$ and be a non-negative symmetric function on $\Y^k$ for some . Applying to all -tuples of distinct points of generates a point process on the positive real-half axis. The scaling limit of as tends to infinity is shown to be a Poisson point process with explicitly known intensity measure. From this, a limit theorem for the the -th smallest point of is concluded. This is strengthened by providing a rate of convergence. The technical background includes Wiener-Itô chaos decompositions and the Malliavin calculus of variations on the Poisson space as well as the Chen-Stein method for Poisson approximation. The general result is accompanied by a number of examples from geometric probability and stochastic geometry, such as Poisson -flats, Poisson random polytopes, random geometric graphs and random simplices. They are obtained by combining the general limit theorem with tools from convex and integral geometry.