The Power Of Mathematical Thinking Info

The lead engineer nodded in agreement. "We have run the numbers. Hubs with serial numbers ending in even digits fail at a 15% rate, while odd digits fail at 9%. We should focus our sensor upgrades on the even-digit assembly line."

"During World War II, the military wanted to add armor to the parts of returning planes that were covered in bullet holes—the wings and the fuselage," Arthur explained. "The mathematician Abraham Wald told them to do the exact opposite. He said to put armor where the bullet holes weren't —the engines. The planes hit in the engines never came back to be counted. The data was missing the most important variable." The Power of Mathematical Thinking

The room went silent. Arthur walked to the whiteboard and drew a simple diagram. The lead engineer nodded in agreement