Looking into the i of the Storm: An Overview of Mid-1880s Contingency Table Indices for Studying Tornado Data
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: One of the first serious attempts to study the indices that assess the association between the variables of a 2 × 2 contingency table was undertaken in the mid-1880s. Central to this study is the 1884 tornado observation/prediction data collected by Seargent John Park Finley (1854–1943), while working for the US Army Signal Service, and the controversial index he proposed to evaluate the success of his tornado predictions, which he denoted i. Subsequent improvements to Finley’s index were proposed, all of which pre-date the development of association measures made by pioneers such as Sir Francis Galton and Karl Pearson. This paper discusses Finley’s data, his index i, and the improvements made to this index. We also give historical context to Finley and his successors and their place in the early development of contingency table analysis.
Source: Mathematics
DOI: 10.3390/math14061019
Author: Eric J. Beh
Institutions: University of Wollongong, Stellenbosch University
Language: English
Subfield: Theoretical Computer Science
Field: Mathematics
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,137
OpenAlex ID: W7137990241