A Bell Curve by definition means that the distance from the weakest to the strongest channeler is intersected at exactly the 50% mark by the mean (the average channeler). Any skewing of the distribution would mean that the term “Bell Curve” cannot be applied to the distribution. Instead, it would then be either a positively or negatively skewed distribution. But not a Bell Curve.
This is simply wrong. First of all, when people say bell curve, or Gaussian distribution or whatever, they never mean it literally. Nothing can ever have a perfect Gaussian distribution, as you would need an infinite sample size. However, loads of things are described to an excellent approximation by a bell curve. That is what people mean when they say something is described by a bell curve.
Secondly, there is no reason to assume the average is at half the maximum value. You can very well have a distribution which is symmetric, aside from being truncated at zero. In that case, the average strength would be slightly shifted away from the most likely strength (the top of the curve). However, it could still be perfectly reasonable to call it a bell curve.
A Bell Curve is a perfectly normal distribution. Perfectly symmetrical. Otherwises it's not a Bell Curve.
EDIT:
Copied from statistics.com
There are several features of bell curves that are important and distinguishes them from other curves in statistics:
•A bell curve has one mode, which coincides with the mean and median. This is the center of the curve where it is at its highest.
•A bell curve is symmetric. If it were folded along a vertical line at the mean, both halves would match perfectly because they are mirror images of each other.
•A bell curve follows the 68-95-99.7 rule, which provides a convenient way to carry out estimated calculations:
•Approximately 68% of all of the data lies within one standard deviation of the mean.
•Approximately 95% of all the data is within two standard deviations of the mean.
•Approximately 99.7% of the data is within three standard deviations of the mean.
This message last edited by Shannow on 29/10/2012 at 10:31:11 AM
The Bell Curve revisited
29/10/2012 09:44:09 AM
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Re: The Bell Curve revisited
29/10/2012 10:21:27 AM
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That's incorrect...
29/10/2012 10:26:49 AM
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Re: That's incorrect...
29/10/2012 10:36:32 AM
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Re: That's incorrect...
29/10/2012 10:40:27 AM
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Re: That's incorrect...
29/10/2012 10:42:57 AM
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Hehe...There are a few disputing it vocally. Whether they're in their right mind, well...
29/10/2012 10:45:07 AM
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Re: Hehe...There are a few disputing it vocally. Whether they're in their right mind, well...
29/10/2012 10:49:49 AM
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Re: Hehe...There are a few disputing it vocally. Whether they're in their right mind, well...
29/10/2012 10:56:37 AM
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It's only as skewed as it seems when you make the assumption that the Forsaken
31/10/2012 04:34:11 AM
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RJ the physicist didn't know math, so that Shannow could be right...
29/10/2012 02:11:19 PM
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Re: RJ the physicist didn't know math, so that Shannow could be right...
29/10/2012 02:37:33 PM
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there are dozens of reasons for this
29/10/2012 08:18:18 PM
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Re: there are dozens of reasons for this
29/10/2012 09:07:35 PM
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Again I don't argue that genetics play no role
30/10/2012 01:57:24 AM
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Once again just so,we are clear on my stance with Genetics and Strength
30/10/2012 03:27:11 PM
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That the 1000 Novices aren't a random sample of the population?
29/10/2012 08:23:47 PM
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And why would it be biased towards those with lower strength?
29/10/2012 09:11:25 PM
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Absolutely no reason...
30/10/2012 01:35:35 AM
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Re: Absolutely no reason...
30/10/2012 06:43:54 AM
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Only if it was a random sampling. Which this is not.
30/10/2012 01:58:34 PM
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That's exactly the point. I want you to explain why it wasn't random.
30/10/2012 02:14:59 PM
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It wasn't random because it was a self-selected sample!
30/10/2012 02:43:03 PM
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Re: It wasn't random because it was a self-selected sample!
30/10/2012 02:47:30 PM
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Go read a stats text will you?
30/10/2012 02:54:16 PM
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Done
31/10/2012 09:34:11 AM
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You seem to have perfected whining to a Talent...
10/11/2012 10:14:19 PM
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Re: You seem to have perfected whining to a Talent...
11/11/2012 11:37:16 AM
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Seriously? I went and looked at some statistics books, and you won't even reply?
01/11/2012 12:13:49 PM
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Yes that totally makes sense
30/10/2012 08:07:16 AM
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That's not what happened...
30/10/2012 02:01:52 PM
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I hate to get into these things
29/10/2012 05:45:50 PM
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I would love for you to be right, because it would solve all our problems, but 0 is the challenge...
29/10/2012 07:56:34 PM
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In the truest sense, you are probably right that it is skewed
29/10/2012 08:20:52 PM
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Overwhelm Lanfear, not match her. *NM*
29/10/2012 08:26:09 PM
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Truth is, Moiraine was being overly optimistic...
29/10/2012 08:39:17 PM
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You're pathetic...
30/10/2012 01:20:01 AM
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The quote isn't specific
30/10/2012 08:32:36 AM
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Yet neither of them are at full potential and at least equal a Forsaken
30/10/2012 03:45:24 PM
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Re: In the truest sense, you are probably right that it is skewed
29/10/2012 09:10:27 PM
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Lots of people mean perfectly normal distribution when they say it
30/10/2012 05:25:35 PM
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Couldn't the Towers method of obtaining Aes Sedai be to blame?
30/10/2012 12:04:01 AM
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Re: Couldn't the Towers method of obtaining Aes Sedai be to blame?
30/10/2012 09:33:44 AM
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Are you sure about that?
30/10/2012 12:03:43 PM
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Re: Are you sure about that?
30/10/2012 12:19:34 PM
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That doesn't seem a coherent narrative to me
30/10/2012 04:26:25 PM
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Sharina did not have the Spark, nor did Nicola
30/10/2012 05:16:40 PM
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Re: Sharina did not have the Spark, nor did Nicola
30/10/2012 05:54:41 PM
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We do not know if Cadsuane or any of the Forsaken are Sparkers
30/10/2012 10:33:55 PM
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Re: We do not know if Cadsuane or any of the Forsaken are Sparkers
31/10/2012 12:30:52 AM
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A handful of examples are all we have and we have proof that an extremely strong Channeler
31/10/2012 02:58:57 AM
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you're confusing 2 things
30/10/2012 04:27:32 AM
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One thing
30/10/2012 05:23:17 PM
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That's the problem. The BC RJ has "built" has a minimum and a maximum value
30/10/2012 05:48:55 PM
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