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| Type | Working Paper |
| Scope | Discipline-based scholarship |
| Title | A novel estimator of earth's curvature (allowing for inference as well) |
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| Institution | University of Zurich |
| Series Name | Working paper series / Department of Economics |
| Number | 431 |
| ISSN | 1664-7041 |
| Number of Pages | 26 |
| Date | 2023 |
| Abstract Text | This paper estimates the curvature of the Earth, defined as one over its radius, without relying on physical measurements. The orthodox model states that the Earth is (nearly) spherical with a curvature of π/20'000 km. By contrast, the heterodox flat-Earth model stipulates a curvature of zero. Abstracting from the well-worn arguments for and against both models, rebuttals and counter-rebuttals ad infinitum, we propose a novel statistical methodology based on verifiable flight times along regularly scheduled commercial airline routes; this methodology allows for both estimating and making inference for Earth's curvature. In particular, a formal hypothesis test resolutely rejects the flat-Earth model, whereas it does not reject the orthodox spherical-Earth model. |
| Other Identification Number | merlin-id:23610 |
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| Keywords | Flat earth, flight times, nonlinear least squares, trigonometry |
| Additional Information | Revised version |