Gibbs sampling

noun

A Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm for obtaining a sequence of observations which are approximated from a specified multivariate probability distribution, when direct sampling is difficult.

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Meanings

nounGibbs sampling (uncountable)
  1. uncountablemathematicsA Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm for obtaining a sequence of observations which are approximated from a specified multivariate probability distribution, when direct sampling is difficult.

Origin

Named after the physicist Josiah Willard Gibbs, in reference to an analogy between the sampling algorithm and statistical physics.

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Cite this entry
APA

Gibbs sampling. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Gibbs%20sampling

MLA

“Gibbs sampling.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Gibbs%20sampling. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Gibbs sampling,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Gibbs%20sampling.

Source: Gibbs sampling on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.