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TABLE 20: Formulas for Descriptive Statistics

The formulas above are for ungrouped data. For grouped data, see below.
Basic Moments Population Data Sample Data
Mean


x
x
x 
N n
Variance
Definitional  2  x   2
s 
2
x  x 2 
Formula N n 1
Variance
Computational 2 
x 2
 2 s2 
x 2
 nx 2

Formula N n 1
Coefficient of  s
Variation C C
 x
Skewness
Definitional 3 
 x    3
k 3
n
 x  x  3

N (n  1)(n  2)
Formula
Skewness
Computational 3 
1
N
 x 3
 3 x 2
 2N  3  k 3
n
(n  1)(n  2)
 x 3
 3x x 2
 2nx 3 
Formula
Relative Skewness 3 k3
1  g1 
 3
s3
Kurtosis
4 
 x    4
k4 
n2

Definitional
Formula N n  1n  2n  3

 x  x 
4
n  1 3n  13 s 4 

 n n2 
 
Coefficient of 4 k4
Excess 2  3 g2 
 4
s4

Moments or Fractiles Ungrouped Data Grouped Data

Moments As above In above formulas
substitute 
f for  .
Location of Fractile position  pn  1  a.b position  pn  1
Value of Fractile x1 p  xa  .bxa 1  xa   pN  F 
x1 p  L p   w
 f p 

Other Basic Formulas

P x    k  
1
Tchebyschev Relation
k2
Standard Deviation variance

Pearson's Measures of Skewness SK1 

mean  mode , SK 2 
3mean  median
std.deviation std.deviation

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Other Means
x g  x1  x 2  x3  x n  n  n x    ln( x)
1 1
Geometric Mean or ln x g 
n

x
1 1 1
Harmonic Mean 
xh n

x x
1 1
Root Mean Square x rm s  2
or x rm s 2  2
n n

Measure of relation between two variables

Sample Covariance (For later) s xy 

 x  x  y  y    xy  nx y
n 1 n 1

Notes and Warnings

The mode is the data point that occurs most or the midpoint of the largest class.

For the median, use the formulas for fractiles with p  .5

If you have a sample, you must compute sample statistics. If you have a population made up of
data points and (perhaps) observed frequencies. If you have a population given in the form of points and
probabilities, you cannot use the formulas above and must go to materials on random variables.

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