Re: Benford's Law Question


"Robert11" <rgsros@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:bqadnc1Bb-c2UszYnZ2dnUVZ_tOdnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
| Hello:
|
| Can anyone, perhaps, offer an explanation on *Benford's Law, in plain
words,
| not math, as to why it is ?
|
|
| Thanks,
| Bob
|
| * re the fact that physical data that you would think contains a random
| distribution of the integers, does not; that"1" is more prevalent than
"2",
| etc.
|

In a lottery with four balls, 1234 has the same value as 4321,
order is unimportant.
In the number of passengers on a bus in rush hour,
someone will get off first. Counting is ordered.
Random distributions are not ordered.

Try it in binary.
0000 0000 eight zeroes, no 'ones' (Start counting -- 0)
0000 0001 seven zeroes, one 'one' (Have you finished counting yet?)
0000 0010 seven zeroes, one 'one' (Have you finished counting yet?)
0000 0011 six zeroes, two 'ones' (Have you finished counting yet?)
.....
.....
1111 1100 two zeroes, six 'ones' (Have you finished counting yet?)
1111 1101 one zero, seven 'ones' (Have you finished counting yet?)
1111 1110 one zero, seven 'ones' (Have you finished counting yet?)
1111 1111 no zeroes, eights 'ones' (You've finished counting -- 255)
There are as many ones as zeroes... unless you stop.
Benford doesn't have a "law", he has a sample that is too small.
There are an infinite number of digits '0' BEFORE the digit '1'
00000000000000001 = 01 = 1

Androcles.






.

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