4 ms·
Not "30.1% of numbers" start with 1, but 30.1% of numbers from distributions that cover several orders of magnitude might. http://www.billthelizard.com/2009/04
by cruise02 17y ago
Not "30.1% of numbers" start with 1, but 30.1% of numbers from distributions that cover several orders of magnitude might.
http://www.billthelizard.com/2009/04/benfords-law.html http://www.billthelizard.com/2009/04/benfords-law.html
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- lutorm 17y agoThat's what I thought too, learning about that law. For certain, 30% of prices start with 9... ;-)
- stanleydrew 17y agoDo you mean 30.1% of prices end with 9?
- palish 17y ago"Explaining Benford's Law" may have been a more accurate title, but "Why 30.1% of numbers start with 1" brought this neat article to a larger audience. Taken too far, though, that kind of thing can ruin social news sites. Headlines have always been a gray area.
- Confusion 17y agoUnfortunately, "Explaining Benford's Law", which is the actual title of the article, is a complete misnomer, as the article doesn't actually explain the first thing about Benford's law. It just restates Benford's law and gives examples. There is no explanation or derivation at all.
- FalcorTheDog 17y agoClick the "Next Section" link at the bottom to get way more explanation/derivation than you could ever want.
- Confusion 17y agoAh thanks, I mistakingly thought that linked to a next chapter(which actually isn't there; this is the final chapter in the book).