There are many different interpolation methods, some of which are described below.

The simplest interpolation method is to locate the nearest data value, and assign the same value.

The most reliable and accurate estimates can normally be obtained using one of the true cross-areal interpolation methods.

In comparing interpolation methods, the first consideration should be whether or not the source data will change (exact or approximate).

There are two ways for introducing the real interpolation method.

A complex interpolation space is usually not isomorphic to one of the spaces given by the real interpolation method.

For the real interpolation method, the duality holds provided that the parameter q is finite:

A variety of interpolation methods or "algorithms" are available for performing these estimations.

Often, these libraries use pre-calculated tables internally, and compute the required value by using an appropriate interpolation method.

Geostatistics is intimately related to interpolation methods, but extends far beyond simple interpolation problems.