The current wait for quiet algorithm is relatively simple, it proceeds as follows:
- Each proposal begins with the deadline set at 24 hours.
- Any time the vote “flips” from majority yes to majority no, or vice versa, we change the deadline to be the greater of the current deadline, or E + (W + (P - E) / 2), where W is (currently) a fixed value of 12 hours, P is the original deadline (24 hours) and E is the time elapsed from the beginning of the proposal.
This means that a vote flip 1 hour into the proposal would change the deadline to 24.5 hours, or 1 + (12 + (24 - 1) / 2).
It also means that the maximum deadline possible is 48 hours, if vote flips kept happening near the end to cause repeated extensions: 48 + (12 + (24 - 48) / 2) = 48.
To put that all into plain English: The deadline is 24 hours, but may extend linearly out to 48 hours, with extensions made to fit that linear path only when the majority flips.
I’ve made a Google Sheets document to show how the deadline may evolve based on such flips here: Wait for Quiet - Google Sheets