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No Humble Pie: The Origins and Usage of a Statistical Chart

2005; SAGE Publishing; Volume: 30; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.3102/10769986030004353

1935-1054

Ian Spence,

Historical and Literary Studies

William Playfair’s pie chart is more than 200 years old and yet its intellectual origins remain obscure. The inspiration likely derived from the logic diagrams of Llull, Bruno, Leibniz, and Euler, which were familiar to William because of the instruction of his mathematician brother John. The pie chart is broadly popular but—despite its common appeal—most experts have not been seduced, and the academy has advised avoidance; nonetheless, the masses have chosen to ignore this advice. This commentary discusses the origins of the pie chart and the appropriate uses of the form.