A large fraction of the anticipated source detections by the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST-LAT) will initially be unidentified. We argue that traditional approaches to identify individuals and/or populations of gamma ray sources will encounter procedural limitations. Those limitations are discussed on the background of source identifications from EGRET observations. Generally, our ability to classify (faint) source populations in the anticipated GLAST dataset with the required

more »

... ee of statistical confidence will be hampered by sheer source wealth. A new paradigm for achieving the classification of gamma ray source populations is discussed. Keywords gamma rays · observations · methods: data analysis PACS 95.85.Pw · 98.70.Rz · 95.75.-z Problem statement The anticipated source wealth from observations carried out by the satellite-based γ-ray mission GLAST, potentially yielding the discovery of thousands of new highenergy sources following extrapolations from predecessor experiments, will create several problems for source identification. Catalogs of the most prominent candidate