Power law distribution from "summary" of The Longer Long Tail by Chris Anderson
Power law distribution is a mathematical concept that describes a certain kind of data pattern. It's a way of understanding how things are distributed in the world, from income to internet traffic to popularity. At its core, power law distribution is about the unequal distribution of things. In a power law distribution, a small number of things account for the majority of the total. This means that a few items are extremely popular or successful, while the vast majority are much less so. The power law distribution is a stark contrast to the more familiar bell curve distribution, where most things cluster around the average. Instead of a smooth, symmetrical curve, a power law distribution is lopsided, with a long tail trailing off to the right. This long tail represents the many less popular or successful items that make up the rest of the distribution. The power law distribution shows that the world is not a level playing field. Some things are simply more popular or successful than others, and this pattern is consistent acro...
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