correlation length

Correlation length is a measure used to describe how far the influence of one part of a system extends to another part. In simpler terms, it indicates the distance over which things in a system are related or exhibit similar behavior. For example, in a physical material, it might show how temperature changes at one point can affect nearby areas, but not those far away. This concept is important in fields like physics, biology, and statistics, helping researchers understand patterns and relationships within complex systems.