Brownian motion are independent formula_45 random variables. This representation can be obtained using the Karhunen–Loève theorem. The Wiener process can be constructed as the scaling limit of a random walk, or other discrete-time stochastic processes with stationary independent increments. This is known as Donsker's theorem. Like the random walk, the Wiener process is recurrent in one or two dimensions (meaning that it returns almost surely to any fixed neighborhood of the origin infinitely often) whereas it is not recurrent in dimensions three and higher. Unlike the random walk, it is scale invariant. The time evolution of the position of the Brownian particle
Brownian motion mass of a mole of the gas by Avogadro's constant. The first part of Einstein's argument was to determine how far a Brownian particle travels in a given time interval. Classical mechanics is unable to determine this distance because of the enormous number of bombardments a Brownian particle will undergo, roughly of the order of 10 collisions per second. Thus Einstein was led to consider the collective motion of Brownian particles. He regarded the increment of particle positions in time formula_1 in a one dimensional ("x") space (with the coordinates chosen so that the origin lies at the initial position