A method for correlating scattered pilot locations in a sequence of OFDM symbols in a multi-carrier transmission system, and includes mapping pilot locations comprising pilot symbols having predetermined known values, wherein the pilot symbols are positioned among data subcarriers in time and frequency dimensions consisting of received pilot symbols and having a predetermined position pattern in the time and frequency dimensions, wherein the predetermined position pattern comprises a finite number of sub-position patterns each corresponding to positions of the pilot symbols; estimating a Doppler spread in a frequency spectrum between the transmitter and the receiver in the multi-carrier transmission system; estimating a channel length of a set of channel paths received at the receiver; and the receiver automatically selecting one of a plurality of predetermined methods of correlating the scattered pilot locations in the sequence of OFDM symbols based only on the estimating processes.