#generalized correlation

The Quantitative Complexity Theory relies on a new, modern approach to correlation – the generalized correlation – which overcomes the well-known problems of mainstream approaches such as Pearson’s or Spearman’s correlation. The importance of correlation cannot be overstated. This is because the presence of a correlation imples the existence of a rule and rules are what make things work. By rules…

The dangers of linear correlation arise when oversimplifying relationships between variables, leading to flawed conclusions, misguided decisions, or hidden risks, see recent blog. Here’s a breakdown of key pitfalls: 1. Assuming Linearity in Nonlinear Relationships Risk: Linear correlation (e.g., Pearson’s r) quantifies only straight-line relationships. Many real-world relationships are…

“correlation is charlatanism”“Anything that relies on correlation is charlatanism” is a great article. But is correlation charlatanism? Yes it is. But it is not for the reasons explained in the article. Here is why. Correlations are present everywhere. The concept of correlation is one of the key constructs of statistics, modelling, simulation. It is used to design portfolios, to estimate risks,…

Covid-19 and the Deception of Linear Correlation

The management of crises, when based on data, relies on correlations that underly rules which, in turn, are translated into actions or regulations. If, for example, there were a strong correlation between driving speed and number of traffic accidents, this would lead to a rather obvious rule that “driving fast increases the risk of accidents”, hence the authorities would lower the maximum speed…

How Many Covid-19 Waves Are There?

It has been a while since we analyzed global covid-19 data (using Worldometers as source). The reason we have suspended our analyses is that the reporting of covid-related deaths – died because of covid or died with covid – is not a transparent process hence it lends itself to manipulation. Analyzing warped data makes little sense. Our previous blog on the matter sheds some light on this…