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Fallacies Concerning Averages

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2016

Extract

The County Cricket Championship table that appeared on 16th June disclosed a paradoxical state of affairs, which, when examined closely, is shown to depend upon the neglect of an important statistical principle used in the calculation of death-rates, comparative wage-rates, index numbers, and other data not usually associated with our national game. Sussex and Yorkshire had each completed seven matches, and each had won six and lost one. As for the unfinished matches, Sussex had four times led on the first innings and once been behind, while Yorkshire had been behind on the first innings in the only two unfinished matches they played. Thus on the complete matches the two counties were exactly equal, while on the unfinished ones Sussex had done better.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Mathematical Association 1937 

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References

page no 369 note * The counties and statistics in this paragraph are entirely fictitious and have no relation to any living or dead person. The abnormally high mortality is attributed to an imaginary disease (cricket fever).