Trade-Off Between Sample Size and Accuracy: Case of Static Measurements under Interval Uncertainty

Authors

Hung T. Nguyen
Vladik Kreinovich, The University of Texas at El PasoFollow

Publication Date

10-2007

Comments

Technical Report: UTEP-CS-07-47a

In: Van-Nam Huynh, Yoshiteru Nakamori, Hiroakira Ono, Jonathan Lawry, Vladik Kreinovich, and Hung T. Nguyen (eds.), Interval/Probabilistic Uncertainty and Non-Classical Logics, Springer-Verlag, Berlin-Heidelberg-New York, 2008, pp. 32-44.

Abstract

In many practical situations, we are not satisfied with the accuracy of the existing measurements. There are two possible ways to improve the measurement accuracy:

first, instead of a single measurement, we can make repeated measurements; the additional information coming from these additional measurements can improve the accuracy of the result of this series of measurements;

second, we can replace the current measuring instrument with a more accurate one; correspondingly, we can use a more accurate (and more expensive) measurement procedure provided by a measuring lab -- e.g., a procedure that includes the use of a higher quality reagent.

In general, we can combine these two ways, and make repeated measurements with a more accurate measuring instrument. What is the appropriate trade-off between sample size and accuracy? This is the general problem that we address in this paper.