Re: zero times sysmis equals 0. why?

Posted by Art Kendall on Mar 16, 2011; 2:59pm
URL: http://spssx-discussion.165.s1.nabble.com/zero-times-sysmis-equals-0-why-tp3783714p3783693.html

It is a general math assumption that zero in the numerator yields zero as the result no matter what is in the denominator. (How ever dividing by zero is undefined.)

zero /something = 0.  How many somethings in nothing? None. (can be done but one would often want to assign a user missing value when there is a zero numerator)

something/zero = unknown. How many nothings in something? meaningless. (cannot be done, results in sysmis.)

Art Kendall
Social Research Consultants

On 3/16/2011 10:48 AM, Martin Sherman wrote:

Dear list: I just multiplied zero times sysmis and the result was a zero.  I wasn’t expecting that.  Is that something new to IBM SPSS 19.0?

 

Martin F. Sherman, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychology

Director of  Masters Education in Psychology: Thesis Track

 

Loyola University Maryland

Department of Psychology

222 B Beatty Hall

4501 North Charles Street

Baltimore, MD 21210

 

410-617-2417

[hidden email]

 

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