Includes bibliographical references (pages 235-242) and index.

Linear predicition -- Properties of random fields -- Asymptotic properties of linear predictors -- Equivalence of Gaussian measures and prediction -- Integration of random fields -- Predicting with estimated parameters -- A. Multivariate normal distributions -- B. Symbols -- References -- Index. Prediction of a random field based on observations of the random field at some set of locations arises in mining, hydrology, atmospheric sciences, and geography. Kriging, a prediction scheme defined as any prediction scheme that minimizes mean squared prediction error among some class of predictors under a particular model for the field, is commonly used in all these areas of prediction. This book summarizes past work and describes new approaches to thinking about kriging.