Precise (m, k)-Zipf diagram analysis of mathematical and financial time series when m=6, k=2

For studying short-range time correlations in financial signals, we have envisaged to combine the Zipf method and the i-variability diagrams (VD) as useful tools. The 2-VD describes the local curvature short-range correlations. We have resulted into ranking the 2-VD data according to their frequency of occurrence. After having tested the ideas and estimated the error bars on a Brownian motion signal, we have examined two stocks, i.e. SGP and OXHP closing price and volume of transaction long series. A precise (m,k)-Zipf diagram analysis when m = 6, k = 2 has been shown to lead to a non-immediate information on the signal behavior, even taking into account error bars. The set of curvatures (translated into "words") indicates a Brownian motion-like set for the closing price local curvature of such signals over a 6 day span. Moreover, it has been shown that the conjecture about a simple relationship between the Hurst exponent H and the zeta exponent of Zipf plots does not seem to be substantiated here. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.