Author: Robert Hyatt
Date: 08:53:54 02/19/03
Go up one level in this thread
On February 19, 2003 at 05:08:24, Sune Fischer wrote: >On February 18, 2003 at 23:34:50, Robert Hyatt wrote: > >>On February 18, 2003 at 05:21:00, Sune Fischer wrote: >> >>>On February 18, 2003 at 04:38:32, Alastair Scott wrote: >>> >>>>On February 17, 2003 at 14:41:34, Anthony Cozzie wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>>>the elo system has no defined 0. results are only defined in terms of wins and >>>>>losses. For example, suppose one defined the average elo to be 1600, and placed >>>>>Kramnik, Kasparov, and Shirov in a room together and had them play 5000 games. >>>>>Kasparov's rating would be 1650 at best. Or we could define the 0 to be 0 - >>>>>Kasparov would have a rating of 1200, and some people would have negative >>>>>rating! The whole thing is just like potential energy in physics: only >>>>>differences in the rating system are meaningful. >>>> >>>>Excellent explanation, and there is also the Flynn effect (such rating systems >>>>tend to progressively inflate the numbers over time), which I believe has never >>>>been explained. >>> >>>How do you know they inflate if you can't compare them? >>> >>>-S. >>> >> >>One simple idea is to compare the "average" rating for the pool, over >>time. IE the average "IQ" is not going up, so the average rating should >>not go up since it is a relative measure among the pool members. If it does >>go up, it has to be inflation since not _everybody_ is going to improve >>steadily... >> > >Perhaps, I think those that play chess today has an easier time getting a game >going (via Internet or own programs), so it is possible that they improve faster >than 20 years ago where the only option was to play once a week down in the >local club. > >-S. they may improve _faster_ but the overall chess population won't improve. It _can't_. If everyone improves the ratings _must_ stay the same for the average. If they don't, there is inflation. The inflation comes in with new players .
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