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#1 2014-11-18 09:12:00
- MathsIsFun
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- Registered: 2005-01-21
- Posts: 7,713
First Digits Rule (Benford's Law)
A new page, on "Benford's Law": First Digits Rule
What do you think?
"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..." - Leon M. Lederman
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#2 2014-11-18 10:13:56
- bobbym
- bumpkin
- From: Bumpkinland
- Registered: 2009-04-12
- Posts: 109,606
Re: First Digits Rule (Benford's Law)
Hi MIF;
Very good!
It is sometimes called the logarithmic law. The legend is that Benford an astronomer first noticed the law when he noticed that in old books of tables the list beginning with one were the most faded. As if they were the most used.
In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.
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#3 2014-11-18 12:26:22
- MathsIsFun
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Re: First Digits Rule (Benford's Law)
Yes I heard that one too, and find it a fascinating example of how some people can notice things and go on to discoveries. But trying to explain what a log table is seemed a little hard for this page.
"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..." - Leon M. Lederman
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#4 2014-11-18 14:29:12
- bobbym
- bumpkin
- From: Bumpkinland
- Registered: 2009-04-12
- Posts: 109,606
Re: First Digits Rule (Benford's Law)
Hi;
I agree, I think it was an amazing deduction, one of the best ever.
In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.
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#5 2014-11-18 14:30:57
- Jai Ganesh
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- Registered: 2005-06-28
- Posts: 48,425
Re: First Digits Rule (Benford's Law)
Hi MathsIsFun,
Excellent page!
With the common logartthms, the number of digits can be found in simpe way.
I often used this to compute the number of digits of operations like
with powers of elementary numbers.Further, knowledge of the units digit is of paramount importance. Sum and product in Vedic Mathematics can led to interesting and important results.
It appears to me that if one wants to make progress in mathematics, one should study the masters and not the pupils. - Niels Henrik Abel.
Nothing is better than reading and gaining more and more knowledge - Stephen William Hawking.
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#6 2014-11-18 14:40:12
- ShivamS
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- Registered: 2011-02-07
- Posts: 3,648
Re: First Digits Rule (Benford's Law)
It looks great!
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#7 2014-11-18 18:23:02
- MathsIsFun
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- Registered: 2005-01-21
- Posts: 7,713
Re: First Digits Rule (Benford's Law)
Thanks Guys!
"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..." - Leon M. Lederman
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#8 2014-11-19 09:17:33
- MathsIsFun
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- Registered: 2005-01-21
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Re: First Digits Rule (Benford's Law)
I decided to add a section on the worn logarithm book, and found that Simon Newcomb actually discovered that!
See my revised version (use refresh): First Digits Rule
"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..." - Leon M. Lederman
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#9 2014-11-19 10:20:26
- bobbym
- bumpkin
- From: Bumpkinland
- Registered: 2009-04-12
- Posts: 109,606
Re: First Digits Rule (Benford's Law)
Hi;
Sorry, I thought it was Benford. Never trust an old guy's memory.
In mathematics, you don't understand things. You just get used to them.
If it ain't broke, fix it until it is.
Always satisfy the Prime Directive of getting the right answer above all else.
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