Hey Fionwe

Nice job, after our discussion on the other site.

I've done a bit of tinkering in Excel, and I've come to an interesting conclusion, given everything we know now.

Essentially, pretty much all the big bits of evidence can be made to fit together in a remarkably consistent picture, if we accept that RJ's Bell Curve comment referred to the 54 level linear list only. This would make sense, given that it is pretty clear that the additional 12 "+" levels don't operate to the same linear scale as the list from level 13 (Elaida's level) downwards.

So if you take the 54 level list as the one that RJ based his Bell Curve comment on, then you can actually make it all fit.

I have mapped it out, and the results are remarkably consistent.

Essentially, it would mean that Elaida is 2.45 times stronger than Daigian, that the average woman is 50% as strong as Elaida, and that the average Aes Sedai is 66.66% as strong as Elaida (two thirds).

It would also mean that Daigian is 60% as strong as the average Aes Sedai.

The average woman is then weaker than the average Aes Sedai - 50% and 66% of Elaida's strength respectively.

All of this can be calculated based on giving level 54 one 54th the strength of level 1. In other words, post-Genjei Moiraine is at level 54 and is 54 times weaker than pre-Genjei Moraine, who was at level 1.

The entire picture fits together, including Siuan's quotes that she is now stronger than Daigian, but still less than half her former level 1 strength. Siuan is now around a level 31, which is 44% of her former strength.

The entire model works.

All it requires, is that we accept that RJ added the 12 levels above level 1 later, and that his Bell Curve was calculated for the Aes Sedai population and below. Which makes sense, given that the 12 levels above level 1 don't operate to the same scale anyway.

I've got all the calculations in Excel. The above are just the highlights that stand out.