Phrasing of multitudes.

TiredThinker

When somebody has say 5 of something but wants 25 of that something they would say they want 5 times as many of it. But if they wanted 1 of that thing I hear people say they want 5 times fewer of it. Should it not be "1/5th as many?" When dividing should "times" be in the request?

Agent Smith

5 times fewer?

11 times 5 = 11 × 5 = 55. It's not fewer, the product is greater than the original number we began with.

5 times fewer. :chin:

We can say I want 0.2 times fewer. 0.2 = $\frac{1}{5}$

TiredThinker

↪Agent Smith

Exactly. It seems like a poor use of phrasing many people use.

L'éléphant

It seems like a poor use of phrasing many people use. — TiredThinker

It is not. At least not mathematically. "Times" is the inverse of division. Try, ten times weaker. Does that sound like the phrase "5 times fewer"?

TiredThinker

↪L'éléphant

Shouldn't it be 1/10 as strong?

L'éléphant

↪TiredThinker

There is no "should or shouldn't" in math. Use "or".

Phrasing of multitudes.

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