Laws of large numbers and small numbers

by John on January 24, 2008

In case my previous note on the law of small numbers confused anyone, I’ll compare it to the law of large numbers.

The law of large numbers is a mathematical theorem; the law of small numbers is an observation about human psychology.

The name “law of large numbers” is a standard term applied to a theorem about the convergence of random variables. (OK, actually two theorems. Like nuclear forces, the laws of large numbers comes in a strong and a weak form.)

The name “law of small numbers” is a pun, and I don’t believe the term is commonly used. Too bad. It’s a convenient label for a common phenomena.

Related post:

Law of medium numbers

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