Watching Keith Olbermann tonight, I heard a term that I have seen and/or heard over the past couple of weeks. It has to do with statistical analysis. A Keith Number is, to quote from its Wikipedia entry, "...a Keith number or repfigit number (short for repetitive Fibonacci-like digit) is an integer N>9 that appears as a term in a linear recurrence relation with initial terms based on its own digits."
Clear as mud????
And that was the clearest explanation I was able to find. So, my question is this: If the clearest explanation requires, at best, a minor in advanced mathematics from an accredited university, is it really necessary or appropriately applicable to include that term with the statistical analysis of the Presidential primaries currently being held?
16 January 2008
What the hell is a Keith Number?
So Sayeth The Accidental Existentialist at 7:48 PM
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2 Messages of Encouragement Received Today:
The Keith Number, as he uses it, is the % of undecided voters plus the margin of error for the poll.
So if a margin of error for a poll is +/-3%, and the number of undecided voters in the poll is 10%, the Keith number for that poll would be 13%
The "Keith Number" as Olbermann uses it is his own polite homage to the real Keith Number (named after Mike Keith) you found referenced on Wikipedia (which i can't understand a word of either).
Olbermann's "Keith Number" is simply the margin of error plus the percentage of undecided voters in the respective poll. It helps indicate a "real" lead than the too often "perceived" leads that most polls tout.
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