"Perplexed in Peoria" wrote:

>> JE:-
>> Any relative fitness is a comparison.
>> Any subtraction is just a comparison.
>> What was being compared is what was being
>> subtracted.

> JM:-
> It is correct to say that a relative fitness is
> a comparison - at least as most biologists use the
> term "relative fitness".  It is a comparison between
> two "absolute fitnesses".
> However it is wrong to suggest that the comparison
> is done by subtraction.  It is done by division.  At
> least that is how it is done in population biology.

JE:-
The subject here is c within Hamilton's rule which
is a comparison by simple subtraction between rb and c
via a _hidden_ "baseline fitness" K which is not
explicitly included anywhere within the rule.

> JM:-
> I did a Google on:
>     "absolute fitness" "relative fitness"
> I found many definitions of these terms.  There was
> some variation in the definitions, particularly in
> the definition of absolute fitness, but there was
> near universal agreement that a relative fitness is
> the ratio of two absolute fitnesses - not the difference.
> Some examples:

JE:-
Thanks for the references. IYO does any significant
difference exist between additive (subtracted) 
and non additive (divided) absolute fitness 
comparisons within a science of biology?

JM:-
>However, subtraction IS involved in calculating Hamilton's c.
>"c" and "b" are differences between fitnesses. 

JE:-
No, the difference is between c 
and the multiple rb.

JM:-
>The difference can
>be a difference between relative fitnesses or it can be a difference
>between absolute fitnesses.  It doesn't really matter, as long as
>you use the same kind of fitness difference for both "b" and
"c".

JE;-
It does matter within any science of biology because
only comparing relative fitnesses reduces the argument
to a non testable infinite regress. Do you require me
to expand this argument?

John Edser
Independent Researcher

PO Box 266
Church Pt
NSW 2105
Australia

edser{at}tpg.com.au
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