Final answer:
The likelihood ratio in the Meredith Kercher case provided a measure of the strength of DNA evidence on a knife and its relation to suspect involvement. An exact figure was not provided, but the concept relies on comparing probabilities under different hypotheses.
Step-by-step explanation:
The likelihood ratio is a statistical measure used in forensic science to assess the probability of the evidence given two competing hypotheses: for instance, whether the DNA evidence is more likely to have come from the suspect and other unknown people, or from only unknown people. In the Meredith Kercher case, the likelihood ratio would relate to how strongly DNA evidence found on a knife implicated a suspect compared to the probability that it did not.
Without the specific figures and context of the Kercher case, we cannot provide an exact likelihood ratio conclusion. However, in such cases, a high likelihood ratio would suggest that the presence of the suspect's DNA on the knife is significantly more probable if the suspect was involved in the crime compared to if they were not. Conversely, a low ratio would suggest that the DNA evidence does not strongly implicate the suspect. These ratios are crucial in helping courts determine the value of DNA evidence.