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No, "proportional" just means the two things correspond in size, not that the sizes are equal. In other words there is a positive correlation between the values.

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According to the Wikipedia page for proportionality[1], the values "can also be viewed as a two-variable linear equation with a y-intercept of 0". Direct (as opposed to inverse) proportionality is a type of positive correlation but they are not the same thing. Because we are dealing with probability percentage as a proportion of the company's size either the size is greater than zero and the probability is 100% or both values are zero.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proportionality_(mathematics)

These are the absolutely useless arguments I come to Hacker News for.

Did you read TFA? Stay the hell out of other people's arguments ;)

Saying many words without really saying anything.

> can also be viewed

Then I think it's safe to say that that's not the view being used in this discussion.

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