The Validation of Brass's Model Life Table System.

Abstract The closeness-of-fit of two-parameter Brass model life-tables to English life-tables is examined. This is done for various life-table functions and various criteria of best fit. Reproductions of computer output give full details of the fits for typical cases from the large selection of cases examined. It was found that the equations to be solved to find the best fit were intractable and the paper gives a simple method of finding an approximate solution to these equations.