3.3.2.

Median

Definition 3.2
The median m of a sample of n observations
x , x , …, x
1 2 n arranged in ascending
or descending order is the middle number that divides the data set into two equal
halfs: one half of the items lie above this point, and the other half lie below it.

Formula for calculating median of an arranged in ascending order data set

m=Median=¿ {xk if n=2k−1 (n is odd) ¿ ¿¿¿

Example 3.2 Find the median of the data set consisting of the observations 7, 4, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10.
Solution First, we arrange the data set in ascending order
3 4 5 6 7 8 10.
Since the number of observations is odd, n = 2 x 4 - 1, then median m = x4 = 6. We see that a
half of the observations, namely, 3, 4, 5 lie below the value 6 and an another half of the
observations, namely, 7, 8 and 10 lie above the value 6.
Example 3.3 Suppose we have an even number of the observations 7, 4, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 1. Find
the median of this data set.
Solution First, we arrange the data set in ascending order
1 3 4 5 6 7 8 10.
Since the number of the observations n = 2 x 4, then by Definition
Median = (x4+x5)/2 = (5+6)/2 = 5.5

Advantage of the median over the mean: Extreme values in data set do not affect the median
as strongly as they do the mean.
Indeed, if in Example 3.1 we have
mean = 5.3, median = 4.8.
The extreme value of 9.0 does not affect the median
 START
Find the m =
median of the
data set

arrange the data set in ascending order

if n=2 k −1 Y
(n is even)

Y
(n is odd) if n=2k

m=
x 1
m= k x +x
2 ( k k +1 )

FINISH
m values find