Predict next event occurrence, based on past occurrences
I'm looking for an algorithm or example material to study for predicting future events based on known patterns. Perhaps there is a name for this, and I just don't know/remember it. Something this general may not exist, but I'm not a master of math or algorithms, so I'm here asking for direction.
An example, as I understand it would be something like this:
A static event occurs on January 1st, February 1st, March 3rd, April 4th. A simple solution would be to average the days/hours/minutes/something between each occurrence, add that number to the last known occurrence, and have the prediction.
What am I asking for, or what should I study?
There is no particular goal in mind, or any specific variables to account for. This is simply a personal thought, and an opportunity for me to learn something new.
Answer
I think some topics that might be worth looking into include numerical analysis, specifically interpolation, extrapolation, and regression.