Percent is just a different way of writing numbers, wherein you take the number and multiply by 100. No more, no less.You could call regular numbers "per unum" if you wanted. There is also "per mille" meaning a number times 1000. I so agree with you that it is super annoying when people say things like "I am going to give 110% of my effort!" But the numerator of a fraction is not always a part of the denominator. If I have $10 in my bank account, I can have $100 tomorrow, and my account has experienced a 9 times increase (or a 900 percent increase, or a 9000 per mille increase). Rich suggested that my interpretation makes no sense because two successive 100% increases result in a quadrupling, whereas I was suggesting that a 200% increase is a tripling. There is no contradiction here - the key thing is that Rich is assuming SUCCESSIVE increases - the second 100% increase has a different basis or denominator than the first. That means that two successive 100% increases are NOT the same as a single 200% increase. If it were defined as you stated, Rich (i.e., if 200% implied two successive 100% increases and was therefore a 3x increase or 4x the original value), then how would you define a 150% increase? And what would be the connection between percentage increase and percentage of a part of a whole? In other words, if a 50% increase is not multiplying by 1.5, then why is 50% of something, half? Sean On Sun, Jul 27, 2014 at 2:54 AM, cdb wrote: > On Fri, 25 Jul 2014 22:17:20 -0600, NOPE9 YES wrote: > :: The phrase " our business increased 200% " > > Please don't start me on my philosophical maths rant :) > > In no way can there be 200% or any other greater than 100% it is like > saying we increase the number of cakes by 24/8ths. 100% is the maximum > percentage =3D per 100ths - we can however have a doubling or two times o= r > twice the amount etc etc. > > I just now I will lose this argument even though I'm pretty sure that fro= m > a purest point of view I am correct. In fact my arrogance tells me I am > 100% correct or is that 250% correct if there were two of me? > > Colin > -- > cdb, colin@btech-online.co.uk on 27/07/2014 > > Web presence: www.btech-online.co.uk > > Hosted by: www.justhost.com.au > > > This email is to be considered private if addressed to a named individua= l > or Personnel Department, and public if addressed to a blog, forum or new= s > article. > > > > > > > -- > http://www.piclist.com/techref/piclist PIC/SX FAQ & list archive > View/change your membership options at > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist > --=20 http://www.piclist.com/techref/piclist PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist .