Daigian could well be lower than the 62.5% number RJ stated as we know the Tower has been weakening for centuries.
Daigian meets the current standards, if barely (if she didn't she would not have be allowed to pass the test for the shawl, she'd had remained an Accepted, constrained to remain in TV). RJ said only 32.5% of women are strong enough to meet them. It's possible the standards have been lowered at some point, though the AS seem to imply they did not (one of them mentioned at some point that despite the decreasing strength and the fact less and less candidates could meet the standards, they were not to lower them...) but 32,5% of women was the current state of things anyway (or RJ would have specified the number applied to a past state of things, not the current one...), and that forcibly includes Daigian at the minimal required level to be allowed to past the test.
My point being a combination of declining numbers and declining strength could easily lead to declining standards. Daigian was clearly dedicated to earning the Shawl, the AS may well have decided to lower the standard to keep numbers up. Obviously I'm in pure speculation territory, but Daigian could just as easily be an example of the decline of the WT as anything else. Ultimately it has little bearing on Bell Curves etc...
The context of the Q&A makes it very clear RJ was referring to the story's contemporary WT standards.
She lies exactly on that boundary that RJ was referring to.
I actually think she lies below this boundary. She seems to be too weak to become an AS but got through using perseverance. The fact that most AS treat her as little better than a wilder demonstrates this. I think she is significantly below the next strongest AS, whomever that is. It makes no difference though, Daigian's strength has never been a direct marker of OP strength like Lanfear or Egwene's has. She's merely a name for the weakest AS level, and whether its Daigain or Vandene or Adeleas makes no difference.
RJ said 37.5% of female channelers fall below the level required to qualify for the Shawl.
It is clearly stressed that Daigian passed this test by a hairsbreadth.
Hence, Daigian clearly falls on this boundary. Put differently, you cannot be weaker than Daigian and still pass the test.
So therefore we know to a very high degree of accuracy that Daigian falls on this 37.5% boundary, or as close to it as a living channeler can apparently be.
From that point we can extrapolate the rest, as we know the number of SD's that cover the percentage of the population between 37.5% and 50%. It is 0.32SD exactly, if I recall correctly. One third of an SD, rounded for quick reference purposes.
The rest of the formula falls into place then, proving that a normal distribution is impossible, given the strength facts we are given in the series.
It doesn't matter who the weakest AS is. I agree that she is that marker, but its also irrelevant if its someone else because Daigain doesn't appear anywhere else with proportionality e.g. "Daigian was less than half as strong as Verin". I'm merely voicing a private theory that Daigian is probably a lot weaker than the woman above her. She spent more time as a novice and accepted than anyone in living memory. It doesn't affect anyone's theories though, but I honestly believe that Aes Sedai have strengths of between 10 and 30, that the 10 is the lower limit shared by several women, and that Daigian is on 6 or 8.
Wheel of Time board admin
Fan of Lanfear
Fan of Lanfear
How many standard deviations is Lanfear
15/11/2012 06:04:39 PM
- 2201 Views
Hmm...
15/11/2012 07:25:34 PM
- 1337 Views
see we CAN agree on stuff
15/11/2012 07:56:12 PM
- 1173 Views
18/11/2012 08:37:22 PM
- 1047 Views


Re:
18/11/2012 11:07:17 PM
- 1263 Views

Re:
19/11/2012 05:16:00 AM
- 1096 Views

Re:
19/11/2012 03:13:01 PM
- 1083 Views

They only reject 37.5%, not 62.5%
19/11/2012 03:19:19 PM
- 1105 Views
Re: They only reject 37.5%, not 62.5%
19/11/2012 04:01:43 PM
- 1305 Views
Re: They only reject 37.5%, not 62.5%
19/11/2012 09:04:04 PM
- 1057 Views
Hmmm...
20/11/2012 02:08:40 AM
- 1129 Views
Perhaps, but Egwene is also being a bit dramatic in the scene as she managed
20/11/2012 04:28:57 AM
- 1076 Views
Nope...
20/11/2012 03:13:13 PM
- 1131 Views
I believe she is being over dramatic
20/11/2012 03:26:24 PM
- 1022 Views
Keep believing that...
20/11/2012 03:30:14 PM
- 1161 Views
*shrugs*
20/11/2012 03:49:10 PM
- 1108 Views
Tired and forkroot are the same now?
20/11/2012 03:55:22 PM
- 1010 Views
No it's the literary device
20/11/2012 04:04:28 PM
- 1142 Views
Impossible. Daigian is exactly 0.32SD below the mean
19/11/2012 11:06:04 AM
- 1084 Views
You keep saying that, but it is either a linear or a non-linear distribution
19/11/2012 09:09:32 PM
- 1137 Views
That's the whole point. Thanks for finally seeing it.
19/11/2012 09:43:27 PM
- 1093 Views
keep believing that ... but you making up numbers isn't really relevant *NM*
20/11/2012 04:29:44 AM
- 693 Views
Please show me a number that is made up. The 0.32SD for Daigian is a rule of statistics.
20/11/2012 07:15:48 AM
- 1050 Views
Ugh. I hate power level discussions. For real world applications, it should be kind of meaningless
16/11/2012 10:28:49 PM
- 1036 Views
I don't really agree
18/11/2012 08:40:53 PM
- 1010 Views
Perhaps, but we've seen that a MUCH weaker Channeler can win in a duel
19/11/2012 09:13:48 PM
- 1058 Views
Re: Perhaps, but we've seen that a MUCH weaker Channeler can win in a duel
20/11/2012 08:10:01 AM
- 1030 Views
Since I've proven that it's not a normal distribution in units of absolute strength, SDs don't apply
17/11/2012 07:48:21 PM
- 1086 Views
You have proven nothing, except that you have an opinion *NM*
18/11/2012 02:21:35 AM
- 668 Views
You simply don't get it. It is mathematically a fact. There is no opinion involved.
18/11/2012 02:19:40 PM
- 922 Views
Only because you've assigned numeric values. That you created.
18/11/2012 02:40:51 PM
- 1055 Views
It doesn't matter what figure you use...
18/11/2012 03:01:56 PM
- 933 Views
What if Daigian is one third Lanfear's strength?
18/11/2012 04:37:58 PM
- 1088 Views
Sure you can
18/11/2012 10:09:31 PM
- 1086 Views
Re: Sure you can
18/11/2012 10:54:50 PM
- 1056 Views
You're right, though its 37.5%
19/11/2012 12:21:29 AM
- 1008 Views
Oops, typo!
19/11/2012 02:54:25 AM
- 1064 Views
Again, not possible, due to Daigian being just 0.3SD below the Mean
19/11/2012 08:37:01 AM
- 1019 Views
Egwene is definitely not 2x Amys...
19/11/2012 04:05:12 PM
- 941 Views
Re: Egwene is definitely not 2x Amys...
19/11/2012 05:55:02 PM
- 900 Views
Egwene is about as strong as Melaine and Amys combined
19/11/2012 09:19:50 PM
- 1020 Views
Re: Egwene is about as strong as Melaine and Amys combined
20/11/2012 02:11:26 AM
- 1055 Views
Forkroot in every case
20/11/2012 04:32:26 AM
- 1018 Views
No!
20/11/2012 03:15:16 PM
- 1003 Views
I'm not going to go re-read the books to you on this
20/11/2012 03:39:46 PM
- 1033 Views
You need to read it for yourself, since you're completely confused.
20/11/2012 03:54:26 PM
- 986 Views
Not going to argue this with you.
20/11/2012 04:09:44 PM
- 948 Views
Your own example disproved your point...
20/11/2012 04:39:25 PM
- 1064 Views
let's see, she's both asleep and would need hours to regain her strength
20/11/2012 04:43:17 PM
- 962 Views
Enough!
20/11/2012 05:04:06 PM
- 1030 Views
LOL ... whatever. You go on believing that ... no one else sees it this way. *NM*
20/11/2012 05:20:52 PM
- 659 Views
Re: Your own example disproved your point...
20/11/2012 05:10:15 PM
- 1072 Views
Barasine + Katerine isn't that much less than
20/11/2012 05:26:31 PM
- 1065 Views
Re: Egwene is definitely not 2x Amys...
20/11/2012 02:26:47 AM
- 971 Views
Re: Egwene is definitely not 2x Amys...
20/11/2012 09:03:40 AM
- 1008 Views
Re: Egwene is definitely not 2x Amys...
20/11/2012 02:59:08 PM
- 1040 Views
None of this is backed by any evidence...
20/11/2012 03:24:12 PM
- 971 Views
who said Cadsuane was 1.5x Moiraine or more?
20/11/2012 04:03:13 PM
- 981 Views
Nope...
20/11/2012 04:41:35 PM
- 993 Views
wrong
20/11/2012 04:48:50 PM
- 932 Views
Better evidence? LOL!
20/11/2012 03:18:55 PM
- 1020 Views
Huh? How did you come to that conclusion?
20/11/2012 04:40:56 PM
- 1012 Views
BEcause Cadsuane is close on the heels of Egwene?
20/11/2012 05:10:50 PM
- 917 Views
I'm not arguing that. I agree that Cadsuane is pretty close to Egwene
20/11/2012 05:50:34 PM
- 1029 Views
Interesting, but let's go with your figures...
19/11/2012 06:54:54 AM
- 1055 Views
Indeed
19/11/2012 08:16:44 AM
- 1112 Views
Rand is sort of a special case
20/11/2012 04:25:02 AM
- 961 Views
Regarding Mesaana...
20/11/2012 08:42:56 AM
- 1010 Views
You continue to mix two things
20/11/2012 03:24:44 PM
- 936 Views
No
20/11/2012 04:54:19 PM
- 1166 Views
You are mistaken
20/11/2012 05:04:40 PM
- 1021 Views
Probably, but the AS have no idea what 37.5% means
19/11/2012 02:59:26 AM
- 969 Views
It's irrelevant
19/11/2012 03:46:42 AM
- 1039 Views
Agreed. Daigian is the marker of the absolute bottom of Aes Sedai strength.
19/11/2012 06:55:41 AM
- 1003 Views
Daigian
19/11/2012 08:12:19 AM
- 1015 Views
It is a direct marker due to RJ's quote
19/11/2012 08:50:26 AM
- 1038 Views
You missed my point
19/11/2012 09:08:42 AM
- 967 Views
Asmodean would never have made the comment about 13 weakest AS
20/11/2012 04:41:11 AM
- 977 Views
Re: Asmodean would never have made the comment about 13 weakest AS
20/11/2012 09:07:49 AM
- 973 Views
Re: Sure you can
19/11/2012 09:22:09 AM
- 1093 Views
Care to explain this...
19/11/2012 05:06:28 PM
- 929 Views
Indeed
20/11/2012 07:16:37 AM
- 1126 Views
Explained far better than I ever could. Bravo.
20/11/2012 07:30:29 AM
- 979 Views
Well duh.
20/11/2012 02:57:24 PM
- 1088 Views
Incorrect.
20/11/2012 04:28:07 PM
- 1077 Views
No
20/11/2012 04:44:16 PM
- 1056 Views
You're integrating without lower limits...
20/11/2012 02:55:06 PM
- 1034 Views
We are not talking about a normal distribution in any case
20/11/2012 04:44:24 AM
- 876 Views
Re: We are not talking about a normal distribution in any case
20/11/2012 07:02:47 AM
- 1078 Views
You must tell me of this special math...
20/11/2012 03:10:09 PM
- 954 Views
Re: You must tell me of this special math...
20/11/2012 04:29:40 PM
- 1009 Views
Morghase is a placeholder...
20/11/2012 04:45:42 PM
- 1091 Views
Well...
18/11/2012 08:43:59 PM
- 1082 Views
Re: Well...
19/11/2012 03:40:44 PM
- 1064 Views
Wow.
19/11/2012 03:53:47 PM
- 1088 Views
Well then you're both wrong I'm afraid
19/11/2012 06:09:36 PM
- 989 Views
Re: Well then you're both wrong I'm afraid
19/11/2012 07:42:58 PM
- 870 Views
this is why I think all of the Forsaken are very close in Power
20/11/2012 04:51:20 AM
- 1081 Views
Re: this is why I think all of the Forsaken are very close in Power
20/11/2012 02:45:18 PM
- 997 Views
I think RJ went out of his way to keep strength a bit of a mystery
20/11/2012 08:42:44 PM
- 1007 Views
Math gurus...Is it possible to find the missing variable...
21/11/2012 05:12:24 PM
- 1021 Views
the problem is that the Mean is not going to tell us much really
22/11/2012 02:55:03 AM
- 1067 Views
Re: the problem is that the Mean is not going to tell us much really
22/11/2012 03:15:33 AM
- 1386 Views
I do not think you can calculate the Mean without knowing the Units of Power
22/11/2012 03:53:59 AM
- 1157 Views