Difference between revisions of "Median"

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(→‎See also: clean up & uniformity)
 
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A '''median''' is the middle number in an ordered numerical sequence. if there are two middle numbers, then the median is found by averaging the numbers together.
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A '''median''' is the middle [[number]] in an ordered numerical [[sequence]]. If there are two middle numbers (i.e. there is an even number of terms in the sequence), then the median is found by taking the [[mean]] of the two middle numbers.
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To use a median as
 
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a type of average, the data set is rearranged in numerical order and the middle value obtained, typically by counting in from either end of the sequence. If two "middle" values remain, then the ''mean'' average of these two numbers ( (x+y)/2 ) is found to give the ''median'' value of the set.
 
  
 
So in an example of the following numerical values:
 
So in an example of the following numerical values:
  
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:2,4,5,11,13
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:2, 4, 5, 11, 13
  
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The Median is 5, as there are 2 values to the right of the 5 and 2 values to the left.  It is the middle.
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The median is 5, as there are 2 values less than 5 and 2 values greater than 5.
  
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The median can sometimes be a better measure of centrality than the mean, as it is unaffected by outliers.
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The median is sometimes preferred as a measure of centrality over the mean due to the fact that is isn't as affected by outliers as the mean is.
  
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==See Also==
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==See also==
  
 
*[[Mean]]
 
*[[Mean]]
 
*[[Mode]]
 
*[[Mode]]
  
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[[category:Probability and Statistics]]
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[[Category:Probability and Statistics]]
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[[Category:Statistics]]

Latest revision as of 15:52, July 13, 2016

A median is the middle number in an ordered numerical sequence. If there are two middle numbers (i.e. there is an even number of terms in the sequence), then the median is found by taking the mean of the two middle numbers.

So in an example of the following numerical values:

2, 4, 5, 11, 13

The median is 5, as there are 2 values less than 5 and 2 values greater than 5.

The median is sometimes preferred as a measure of centrality over the mean due to the fact that is isn't as affected by outliers as the mean is.

See also