Statistics and supermetallicity: The metallicity of Mu Leonis

For the often-studied "SMR" giant mu Leo, Smith & Ruck (2000) have recently found that [Fe/H] similar to +0.3 dex. Their conclusion is tested here in a "statistical" paradigm, in which statistical principles are used to selec t published high-dispersion mu Leo data and assign error bars to them. When data from Smith & Ruck and from Takeda et al. (1998) are added to a data b ase compiled in 1999, it is found that conclusions from an earlier analysis (Taylor 1999c) are essentially unchanged: the mean value of [Fe/H] similar to +0.23 +/- 0.025 dex, and values less than or equal to +0:2 dex are not clearly ruled out at 95% confidence. In addition, the hypothesis that [Fe/H ] greater than or equal to +0.3 dex which emerges from the Smith-Ruck analy sis is formally rejected at 98% confidence. The "default paradigm" which is commonly used to assess mu Leo data is also considered. The basic characte ristics of that paradigm continue to be a) unexplained exclusion of statist ical analysis, b) inadequately explained deletions from an [Fe/H] data base containing accordant data, and c) an undefended convention that mu Leo is to have a metallicity of about +0.3 dex or higher. As a result, it seems fa ir to describe the Smith-Ruck application and other applications of the def ault paradigm as invalid methods of inference from the data.