As a prelude to doing a major back test on the data files, I think I need to manually work out the process of exactly what to write as output to capture the relevant information in a useful way.

The pick 2 should be the easiest way to start. Using the windows version of the app (where I have direct access to the csv files) I will record, then remove the last 21 draws, running the follower for each draw and recording the results in a blank spreadsheet. Both day and evening variants. What I am looking for is what exactly to record and check. This way I have a controlled environment to see which data is important to record and which can be left out. Taking notes on the manual process at each step will define the algorithm that will then be used to write the script.

I will also be looking at the classifier output for each step. Manually checking for any correlation between functions, though this raises the complexity, it is one reason I put both functions into the app.

This may take a few days to figure out, but then the proper back test algorithm can be assembled.

What are the target metrics?

1. Did the direct follower output match the next draw? If not, which frequency level did the next draw come from?

2. Did the numbers in the next draw appear in the list of the 10 most frequent followers?

3. What difference in position did the next draw hold on the classifier output, and how many draws out were the winning numbers?

4. IF a draw was correct on the follower list, what was the inter quartile range on the classifier for each digit? Wider on a match? Narrower on a match?

The coding is not always as easy as it sounds. The classifier took a year to get working, and the first follower script is over 2 years old now. But it is not a race... better to be correct than quick. I do feel that this hobby keeps me more involved in learning various things about creating software to solve problems than college ever did.