Algebra and Up:
Question: Most of us remember Florence Nightingale for her service as a wartime nurse, but did you know she was also an influential statistician? Her mathematical analysis of health conditions in India resulted in a decrease in mortality among soldiers of an average 12.5% each year. At the beginning of her campaign, there were 69 mortalities per 1,000 soldiers. What was the mortality rate at the end of her 10-year campaign? (Round to the nearest whole number per 1,000.)
Answer: 18 per 1,000 mortalities
Solution: To find the number of mortalities per 1,000 at the end of Florence’s campaign, we can use the expression m(1–p)t in which m is the initial mortality rate, p is the percent decrease, and t is the number of years. Using this expression, we find that after 10 years, the mortality rate was 69(.875)10 = 18.1522... or ~18 per 1,000.
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