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Percentages (mander.xyz)

submitted 2 weeks ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

I work in a place full of statisticians, and we've had to unfortunately have numerous conversations with some of them about the difference between "a decrease" and "a decrease in the rate." Apparently "it's increasing slower" isn't clear enough for some.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (3 children)

Maybe I'm understanding wrong but a decrease in the rate would be the derivative of a decrease. Aka the slope of the line. So if you are decreasing at -x. Rate of decrease is -1.

Unless I follow your wording incorrectly. Obviously it isn't always so nice of a function in real stats. Is that what they are missing?

[–] candybrie 6 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

I think it's more y=5x and then y=3x, so you're still increasing, but the rate of increase has decreased. Versus y=-x where the function is now decreasing.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

This is exactly the issue that happens. They write things out narratively like a decrease happened, which would cause some panic in certain groups we work with, and then they would argue when we requested they fix it to represent a decrease in the rate of increase, or a slower/lower increase than prior, or however they wanna say it. But it certainly didn't decrease.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

So the derivative of the derivative, lol. It goes all the way down in math, physics though, that guys a jerk. (Sorry for the bad joke)