Re: Idempotence and "Replication Insensitivity" are equivalent ?

From: Phil Carmody <thefatphil_demunged_at_yahoo.co.uk>
Date: 25 Sep 2006 09:59:21 +0300
Message-ID: <87d59kjut2.fsf_at_nonospaz.fatphil.org>


"Brian Selzer" <brian_at_selzer-software.com> writes:
> You wrote, "There are some sets, such as {0, 1}, where every value between 0
> and 1 (including both endpoints) is minimum."
>
> Unless 0 and 1 belong to some domain other than integers, whole numbers or
> real numbers, it is clear that 0 is the minimum value of the set {0, 1}.

Nope, what was said in its correct context was this:

Quoth me:
<<<
"vc" <boston103_at_hotmail.com> writes:
> Phil Carmody wrote:
> > pamelafluente_at_libero.it writes:
> > > the Median is the value which minimize the sum of absolute differences
> > >
> > > ie. sum | xi - c | is minimum for c = MEDIAN()
> >
> > If I were Bob Silverman, you'd get one heck of a flaming for
> > posting something so obviously somewhere in between unintelligible
> > and meaningless (including both endpoints) to sci.math.
>
> Are saying that the median does not have the property that it minimizes
> the sum of absolute deviations ?

I'm not saying that. I'm saying that the property does not always uniquely define a median ("*the* value", emphasis mine), and therefore cannot be used as the definition therefor. There are some sets, such as {0, 1}, where every value between 0 and 1 (including both endpoints) is minimum.
>>>

Minimum clearly refers to the expression being minimised by pamelaeffluent. You've been confused by vc misunderstanding repeatedly, stretching the thread out, and separating that single sentence from its original context.

I'd forgotten that vc's exchange with me started right from the beginning with a demonstration that he's too thick to understand simple concepts.

Phil

-- 
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Received on Mon Sep 25 2006 - 08:59:21 CEST

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