Ram Shankar Yadav's Blog!

I don't believe this is a bug. If google's algorithim counted exactly how many pages there were for every search, it would cause a lot move overhead....The number of pages your bring back is always approximate. See:
" has always said approximately, just like google says "Results 1 - 10 of
about 6,510,000. " when you search for Oracle.


It goes right along with my belief that you should NEVER do a count(*) before
running a query to tell the user how many rows will result (that is an utter
waste of time). We approximate and only give a page forward (notice how google
lets you access the first 10 pages only -- there is no "last page", it would
take google FOREVER to get to the page with hit 6,000,000 on it!)

Also, on google, sometimes it says "showing 1-10 of about 100" and if you click
on page ten it says "whoops -- we'll just drop you off at page 7 as we've just
discovered there are really only 72 hits!"
"
- Tom Kyte

from: http://asktom.oracle.com/pls/ask/f?p=4950:8:::::F4950_P8_DISPLAYID:3489618933902



Also, it does say "about" and sometimes "approximate" :)

read the last line on your search... sums it up pretty well actually:

In order to show you the most relevant results, we have omitted some entries very similar to the 15 already displayed.
If you like, you can repeat the search with the omitted results included.

Thanks, Chris and Sanjay for your comments!
Hey guys, I don't find the reasons given by you guys as valid, because "If it's a bug, then it's a bug!".
Logically speaking I don't find your comments on this as appropriate, As sanjay said, "you should NEVER do a count(*) before
running a query to tell the user how many rows will result (that is an utter
waste of time)", but Sanjay I would like to add one thing that if there's a requirement then it's not a waste of time.
As far as Chris's comment, Chris I tried to test the same search with "omitted results included", and It showed pagination of 1 to 11 and it worked fine!
I think guys these are not the proper justification for this bug.
If anyone has any idea about this then, what are you waiting for, just throw your comments here as this discussion is heating up ;)

You should click "Similar pages" next to every entry. Once you include similar pages in the count then I believe everything would sum up to that 106 entries.

Its a bug only. I have noticed it few months back and send a mail relating to it internally within my team here :) As of now I haven't found any good source where it says my understanding in saying this to be a bug is wrong!

http://vadivel.blogspot.com/2006/05/search-engine-results-are-almost.html