Originally posted by Davo:
Originally posted by spgoode:
Originally posted by Davo:
'Inversely' is the more traditional term, but 'indirectly' started being used because it is the opposite of 'directly', so it was easier to understand the concepts. Again, just because it wasn't used in high school math doesn't mean it's inappropriate.


indirect : anything other than direct. I took the indirect route to work today.

inverse : opposite

Sorry, but you brought up intellect.


Okay, so 'indirect' means anything but direct. If the opposite of 'inverse proportion' is 'direct proportion', then that would make 'indirect proportion' and 'inverse proportion' the same thing, no? I didn't think I'd have to spell it out for you like this, but I guess you forced me to.



Of course that doesn't make "indirect" and "inverse" the same thing.

It makes them possibly the same thing, as indirect is not always necessarily inverse. So "indirectly proportionate" is not necessarily the same thing as "inversely proportionate" although it can be.

I know you know your fair share of statistics Davo, as do I, and I've got to say that I've never heard the term "Indirectly Proportionate" ever used. And, if I did see it, I would simply assume it meant "not directly proportionate", which does not mean "inversely proportionate", and if they meant inverse, they would have used it.

It's like the common SAT questions -- "If all 'B's are opposite from 'A's, and some 'C's are 'B's, are all 'C's opposite from 'A's.'?

Granted, I do see where you are coming from. In statistics you do not speak in the certainties that "inversely proportionate" would entail. To disprove a hypothesis involving directly proportionate, I do suppose that saying "indirectly proportionate" would be the more correct method. That's not to say that I can recall ever having read it myself (nor does Google find many references to it being used), nor would I use such a term in common conversation simply because it is (purposefully) vague as to your true intention, if you truly do mean inversely.

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