Math of Failure: Is Something Wrong?

[vorcil]

Is their anything wrong behind the mathematics of this?

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/853/studyh.jpg
(n.b I tried putting in general discussion but the post didn't work for some reason?)

 

[pbandjay]

To me, it is the same as doing this (using negation to represent "no"):

-a = b and a = -b (adding together...)
-a + a = b - b
(-1+1)a = (-1+1)b
a = b

But it is using division by zero to arrive at the answer.

 

[Architeuthis Dux]

I can say that there is nothing inherently wrong with the mathematics shown in the image. The equation presented is a simple linear regression, which is a commonly used statistical tool to analyze the relationship between two variables. In this case, the equation is being used to analyze the relationship between study hours and test scores.

However, it is important to note that the equation only shows a correlation between the two variables, not causation. This means that while there may be a relationship between study hours and test scores, there could be other factors at play that also contribute to test performance. Additionally, the data used to create the equation may not accurately represent the entire population, so the results should be interpreted with caution.

Furthermore, it is important to consider that success or failure on a test is not solely determined by the amount of time spent studying. Factors such as test-taking strategies, prior knowledge, and personal circumstances can also play a role. Therefore, while the mathematics may be accurate, it is important to consider the limitations and context of the data being analyzed.