low stakes rookie: Truncating

[low stakes rookie]

Let's say I have a TC of -0.5 and the index number for 12 v. 4 is 0. Should I round down to -1 and hit, or round up to 0 and stand? What about a True of -0.4? Is it a hit?

[Aruuba]

> Let's say I have a TC of -0.5 and the index number for
> 12 v. 4 is 0. Should I round down to -1 and hit, or
> round up to 0 and stand? What about a True of -0.4? Is
> it a hit?

I could be way-off here but I think it depends with which assumption the index numbers that you are looking at were created i.e. created based on rounding, truncating or flooring.

In + counts, assuming they were created using rounding, a TC of 1.5 to less than 2.5 would be a TC of +2. If created assuming truncating, then a TC of +1.99 would still be a +1. And flooring always "goes to the left" as I understand it, so in + counts it's the same as truncating.

In neg counts, if created with truncating, then a -0.999 would still be a 0. If created with rounding, then it'd be a -1. If created assuming flooring, then a neg -0.001 would be still a -1 because you always go "to the left". (As if numbers go from neg to pos, left to right, like on a ruler).

So, what confuses me sometimes is that if all indices that one might be looking at were all created assuming truncating, anything from -0.999 to +0.999 would still be a 0 for purposes of index departure but the range around 0 is twice as wide this way since it covers -0.999 to +0.999.

So I think if it says the counts are "floored", you can pretty much ignore "truncating" because it means the same thing in + counts anyway and you know what it means in neg counts.

But, bottom-line, you have to know which assumption was used in the creating of the integer index numbers you are using to know the answer to your question. Somewhere they should tell you this underlying assumption.

Hopefully, someone will correct me, or expound, because that's just my thoughts.

[Don Schlesinger]

> Hopefully, someone will correct me, or expound,
> because that's just my thoughts.

Everything you wrote was 100% correct. Nice job!

If our original questioner had an index of zero for 12 v. 4, and, in all likelihood, that was a floored index, then with the negative counts he indicated, he would floor them to -1 and hit.

Don