1
2
3
4
Explanation:
1.
Each   vertical   rectangle   represents   a   fraction.
It   is   centered   vertically   at   the   mean   date   of   the   fraction,   and   its   height   extends   to   TwoSigmaAbs   in   above   and   below   about   the   mean.
The   vertical   scale   is   in   millions   of   years.
The   horizontal   line   through   the   rectangles   is   the   weighted   mean,   which   can   be   shaded   at   1 ‐  and   2 ‐ sigma   intervals   just   like   Tripoli.
2.
These   are   just   the   statistics   that   we’ve   already   calculated.
In   publications,   they’re   usually   placed   together   in   a   box   of   their   own.
3.
The   weight   each   fraction   receives   is   proportional   to   (1/OneSigmaAbs)
2
.
The   area   of   each   box   is   proportional   to   the   weight   of   the   fraction,   so   each   edge   is   proportional   to   1/OneSigmaAbs.
The   boxes

should   be   sized   so   that   the   largest   box   doesn’t   get   too   big.
If   a   box   is   too   small,   we   could   just   display   it   as   a   small   circle,   and   indicate   that   this   means   it   is   too   small   to   see.
4.
A   plot   of   the   weighted   mean   probability   distribution   function.
This   curve   is   a   function   of   n,   the   number   of   fractions   included.
The   equation   for   the   curve   is
2
1
/ / /
⁄ 2
/
Where   Gamma   is   the   gamma   function   included   in   your   java   library.
x   is   the   horizontal   axis,   which   is   the
MSWD.
The   mean   of   the   curve   is   always   1,   and   the   width   of   the   peak   decreases   as   n   gets   larger.
The   vertical   black   line   represents   the   MSWD   for   this   age   interpretation.
I’ll   send   more   information   on   the   plot   scale   and   the   boundaries   of   the   red   areas   shortly.
A   good   initial   range   for   x   is   0   to   3.
A   note   about   MSWD :    It   doesn’t   make   much   sense   to   calculate   an   MSWD   for   n   =   2   or   n   =   1.
We   can   still   draw   a   weighted   mean   plot,   but   we   shouldn’t   report   the   MSWD   or   draw   part   4   above.
This   includes   reporting   the   MSWD   on   the   age   interpretation   screen   on   the   left   of   the   sample   interpretation   window— the   MSWD   portion   can   just   be   left   blank,   and   ‘NA’   reported   to   the   .xml
aliquot   output.