An actuary from 2016 who went back in time to 1950 would absolutely destroy the marketplace. The reason that advanced mathematical analysis doesn't often bare fruit is because there's such a small window until the others figure out what he's doing.

Advanced analysis only benefits you if the opposition isn't doing it. In fact....like you point out below...calling something 'advanced' isn't intrinsic in the content of the analysis. The only rational reason to call something 'advanced' is because noone else is doing it yet/it hasn't been done before.

If you can create a unique stat that predicts future behavior that noone else uses....you have a market advantage until someone else figures out what you're doing.

In hockey...analytics are the reason the players are getting smaller and the goons are getting kicked out of the league. Teams are starting to come to terms with the fact that they've overvalued size and toughness as it pertains to winning. It's been analytics that have caused that change.