why I am not a mathematician

[dchenes]

I was just reading something that said, basically, "X is one and a half times more likely to happen than Y". I have a hard time figuring out what that means. I would understand if it said "X is likely to happen N% more than Y".

So if Y happens 10 times, X happens 15 times, and X+Y = 25. Therefore X happens 60% of the time. Is that right?

Comments

[trilobits.livejournal.com]

yes
if x and y are the only things that happen

[dchenes.livejournal.com]

In the context I got that from, X is when a particular thing happens and Y is when it doesn't. I don't think there are any other choices.

[skreeky]

I parse that as

Y + (150% Y) = X

But you're right, they probably meant

150% Y = X

since "twice as likely as Y" means 2Y=X