Definition
Plain language
A way to prove that at least some cases in a group must be true just by counting, without pointing to which specific ones.
As stated in the literature
A combinatorial proof strategy: given a known number of biased responses and an upper bound on how many could have an innocent explanation, the remainder must be dishonest, yielding a guaranteed lower bound without labeling individual instances.
Why it matters: It lets you prove that a certain amount of a problem must exist without the impossible task of inspecting and labeling every single case.
For example, if you know 100 people entered a room and at most 30 could have come in for a meeting, you can be sure at least 70 came for another reason — even without knowing who.
Heard on the show
“But it's a counting argument.”Episode 222 — The Bias Isn't in Your Prompt — It's Inside the Model