What is Percentage?
Imagine a situation where you're watching a drag race, a blue car against a red one. Suppose the blue car is traveling at a speed 25% faster than that of the red car. Then, is the red car 25% slower?
Nope. It's only 20% slower. Why is there a 5% difference? Because of the very definition of ratios. That definition itself defies common sense.
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Math Digression:
From a mathematical standpoint, denoting the percentage that the faster car is traveling at as (%faster), which in this case is 25%, then using simple arithmetics, we can deduce that the difference between the two values, which in this case is 5%, will always follow this equation:
This equation implies that the disparity between the percentage in two phrases grows exponentially at first but dwindles out into a linear incrementation as numbers grow larger.
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I've always viewed math as an expression of intuitive logic, but this simple thought changed that perception. It could either be that math could never perfectly translate human logic or that math, being built on basic logic, transcends our current understanding and explores logical truth beyond our intuition.
After wrestling with my own mind for a while, I stored this conundrum in a virtual filing cabinet and went back to my coffee and news article. Perhaps the next time I wait in line for an amusement park ride, I'll take it out and mull it over some more.
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