Temporal patterns of innovations: triggering effects, trends and correlations phenomena

Abstract This chapter explores the timing of innovation, introducing quantitative tools to identify correlations, clustering and triggering effects. It goes beyond simple rates to analyse the detailed structure of how new events emerge, utilising inter-arrival times and entropy-like measures to differentiate genuine triggering from statistical artefacts. The discussion culminates in an examination of ‘waves of novelties’, where new elements can experience temporary popularity. It also introduces metrics such as Gini-like coefficients, Youth coefficients and Recentness coefficients to quantify the complex relationship between enduring trends and fleeting novelties.