A new look at entropy and the life table | Zendy

Noreen Goldman | Zendy; Graham M. Lord | Zendy

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A new look at entropy and the life table

Author(s) -

Noreen Goldman,

Graham M. Lord

Publication year - 1986

Publication title -

demography

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 2.099

H-Index - 129

eISSN - 1533-7790

pISSN - 0070-3370

DOI - 10.2307/2061621

Subject(s) - life expectancy , life table , entropy (arrow of time) , mathematics , table (database) , econometrics , statistics , demography , mathematical economics , population , computer science , sociology , thermodynamics , data mining , physics

The mathematical derivations described in this paper offer a new look at the entropy of the life table, denoted by H. Contrary to previous claims, it is theoretically possible, and has been observed empirically, for life tables to have entropy values greater than unity. A re-expression of H as a weighted average of life expectancy at different ages relative to life expectancy at birth demonstrates clearly the conditions under which reductions in mortality by a fixed amount at all ages can result in even greater gains in life expectancy.

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