Denominator
The count of cases a rate is measured over ("correct on 847 of 1,000"). A claim without a denominator ("it works," "80 percent") is an anecdote until the count and the sample behind it are stated; demanding the denominator is the core move of turning a story into a rate.
Defined in 2 GAGE programs, which carry 5 distinct definitions of it. The wording above is taught in Certified AI Governance Professional (CAIGP).
How each discipline defines it
The same term does different work depending on who is using it. These are the definitions as each program teaches them, unedited.
The count of cases a rate is measured over ("correct on 847 of 1,000"). A claim without a denominator ("it works," "80 percent") is an anecdote until the count and the sample behind it are stated; demanding the denominator is the core move of turning a story into a rate.
The population a reported number is measured over. A metric without a stated denominator can be precise, confident and true about the wrong set of entities, which is why the denominator is a required field rather than a presentational detail.
The base a percentage is measured against. Changing the denominator changes what a metric means without changing the number. A central target of any metric-definition question.
What a count is expressed against, and over what period. One of the six fields. Reports per thousand employees per quarter is readable; forty six reports is not.
The counted list of what the enterprise consists of, taken from the enterprise anatomy: entities, jurisdictions, units, processes, systems, data holdings and third parties. Coverage cannot be stated without one.
Where it is taught
The exact lessons this term appears in. The first module of every program is free with a free account.
- The vendor interrogation: questions that expose what the sales deck hides · Shipping AI and Surviving the Incident, Certified AI Governance Professional (CAIGP)
- Distrust is a skill: why demos convince and evals do not lie · Evaluation and Trust, Certified AI Governance Professional (CAIGP)
Terms it appears with
Not an alphabetical neighbourhood: these are the terms taught in the same lessons, ranked by how often they appear together.