4 ms·
I can get behind this idea, however, this sentence is wrong: "If clocks rounded to the nearest minute instead of truncating, the average error would be 0.” Th
by jtbayly 2y ago
I can get behind this idea, however, this sentence is wrong:
"If clocks rounded to the nearest minute instead of truncating, the average error would be 0.”
The negative and the positive error don’t cancel each other out. They are both error. The absolute value needs to be used.
- fouronnes3 2y agoThat's a very fair nitpick, but even with a more rigorous error function the point still stands, I think.
- jtbayly 2y agoAgreed. There will be less error, just not zero. I thought it was a silly error that detracted from the point, rather than defeated the point.
- Straw 2y agoThe average error is in fact 0! The average absolute error is reduced but not 0.
- jtbayly 2y agoThat may technically be correct, but it is incorrect in the real world. I submit that error is error in the real world. Mathematics can go jump off a cliff unless it wants to be helpful. :)
- roywiggins 2y agoZero average error conveys something important though: the error that there is, isn't biased positive or negative.
- pkilgore 2y agoThat's language failing us, not maths :-)
- noqc 2y agoWhat are you talking about? Error is a metric.
- jy14898 2y agoBy this logic, a broken 24 hour clock stuck at mid day has 0 error.
- Straw 2y agoThe average of its errors is 0- ie it is not biased. Ofc, the average absolute error, which in English one could very reasonably refer to as "average error" is much greater than 0.
- lupire 2y agoIt depends on the application. Are you summing times (as with a pay clock at a job), or are you paying for error in both directions for some reason?
- lavelganzu 2y agoGood catch. RMS (root mean square) error is typical in signal processing to avoid this undesirable cancellation.