What is ELO ratings and how it applies to our cat food

The Elo rating system is a method for calculating the relative skill levels of players in competitor-versus-competitor games such as chess. It is named after its creator Arpad Elo, a Hungarian-born American physics professor. The difference in the ratings between two players serves as a predictor of the outcome of a match. Two players with equal ratings who play against each other are expected to score an equal number of wins.



Every morning and night my wife and I give our cat (Sterling) the option of two bowls of different food. The outcome determines the winner; the first bowl Sterling finishes is the victor, the other one is the loser. In the case of a tie, he consumes an equal amount of food.





Proven Used in video games, association football, Chess tournament, gridiron football, basketball, Major League Baseball, competitive programming, esports, and other games.

Method of calculation A player’s Elo rating is represented by a number which increases or decreases based upon the outcome of games between rated players. After every game, the winning player takes points from the losing one. The difference between the ratings of the winner and loser determines the total number of points gained or lost after a game.

Formula Rn = Ro + K × (W – We)



We = 1 / (10(-dr/400) + 1)