[Gnuplot-bugs] Fwd: Re: Gnuplot time is 5 hours ahead of the rest of the world

[<pl...@pi...>]

------- Forwarded message -------

To: "Hans-Bernhard Bröker" <HBB...@t-...>
Subject: Re: Gnuplot time is 5 hours ahead of the rest of the world
Date: Wed, 08 Aug 2007 14:15:23 +0200

On Wed, 08 Aug 2007 14:04:43 +0200, Hans-Bernhard Bröker
<HBB...@t-...> wrote:

> pl...@pi... wrote:
>> On Wed, 08 Aug 2007 11:52:33 +0200, Hans-Bernhard Bröker   
>> <HBB...@t-...> wrote:
>
>>> That's the mean number of seconds of the actual astronomical year.  But
>>> we're dealing with calendars here, not with astronomy.  The average
>>> length of a calender year, in the period under consideration (1970 to
>>> roughly 2038), is 365.25 days.  Multiply that by DAY_SEC and you get
>>> exactly those 31557600 seconds found in our YEAR_SEC.
>
>> That's the average over a period with exactly 3 non leap years and one   
>> leap year. This will not be the average of any arbitary period within  
>> the  range you indicate.
>
> It is, in the only sense that such an average can be defined: it's the  
> expectation value of the corresponding random variable.  The actual  
> possible values are 365 or 366, but on average, the length is 365.25.
>

WTF? We dont need an "expectation value" we need the number of seconds.
This is not a "random variable". There is a precise length of time which
elapsed according to a definitively defined calendar system.

That is precisely why I pointed out that use of a mean value is
_incorrect_.

Calculate the length of that actual years in question , it is known and
defined. We dont need to start apply  statistics , thermodynamics or
quantum theory.

Just count the days!