Mean

The mean (or average) of a set of data values is the sum of all of the data values divided by the number of data values. That is:

Example 1 The marks of seven students in a mathematics test with a maximum possible mark of 20 are given below: 15 13 18 16 14 17 12 Find the mean of this set of data values. Solution:

So, the mean mark is 15. Symbolically, we can set out the solution as follows:

So, the mean mark is 15.

Median

The median of a set of data values is the middle value of the data set when it has been arranged in ascending order. That is, from the smallest value to the highest value. Example 2 The marks of nine students in a geography test that had a maximum possible mark of 50 are given below: 47 35 37 32 38 39 36 34 35 Find the median of this set of data values. Solution: Arrange the data values in order from the lowest value to the highest value: 32 34 35 35 36 37 38 39 47 The fifth data value, 36, is the middle value in this arrangement. Note:

In general:

If the number of values in the data set is even, then the median is the average of the two middle values. Example 3 Find the median of the following data set: 12 18 16 21 10 13 17 19 Solution: Arrange the data values in order from the lowest value to the highest value: 10 12 13 16 17 18 19 21 The number of values in the data set is 8, which is even. So, the median is the average of the two middle values.

Alternative way:

There are 8 values in the data set.

The fourth and fifth scores, 16 and 17, are in the middle. That is, there is no one middle value.

Note:
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Half of the values in the data set lie below the median and half lie above the median. The median is the most commonly quoted figure used to measure property prices. The use of the median avoids the problem of the mean property price which is affected by a few expensive properties that are not representative of the general property market.

Mode
The mode of a set of data values is the value(s) that occurs most often. The mode has applications in printing. For example, it is important to print more of the most popular books; because printing different books in equal numbers would cause a shortage of some books and an oversupply of others. Likewise, the mode has applications in manufacturing. For example, it is important to manufacture more of the most popular shoes; because manufacturing different shoes in equal numbers would cause a shortage of some shoes and an oversupply of others. Example 4 Find the mode of the following data set: 48 44 48 45 42 49 48 Solution: The mode is 48 since it occurs most often. Note:
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It is possible for a set of data values to have more than one mode. If there are two data values that occur most frequently, we say that the set of data values is bimodal. If there is no data value or data values that occur most frequently, we say that the set of data values has no mode.

Percentile "ranks"
-scores of students are arranged in rank order from lowest to highest -the scores are divided into 100 equally sized groups or bands -the lowest score is "in the 1st percentile" (there is no 0 percentile rank) -the highest score is "in the 99th percentile" (you can't score in the 100th percentile because you can't beat your own score)
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If you "scored in the 66th percentile", you scored "as well as or better than" 66% of the group. If your score was the same as "the mean" for that test, you scored in the 50th percentile.(The mean is the middle of a distribution, and the 50th percentile is the same...the
middle of the group.)

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If 700 people took a test, how many people would be in each percentile band?
(Divide 700 by 100 bands/ranks)

If only one student is taking the diagnostic achievement test, how do we determine his/her percentile ranking? Who do we compare him/her against?
(The norm groups...kids who have taken the test previously... provided by the test)

Deciles ("Deca" means "ten")

-scores of students are arranged in rank order from lowest to highest -the scores are divided into 10 equally sized groups or bands (instead of 100 as with
percentiles) (Or divide the percentiles into bands of 10 percentile ranks)

-the lowest score is "in the 1st decile" -the highest score is "in the 10th decile"
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This "ile" is the most difficult to visualize and state. For example, the 62nd percentile rank falls in the 7th decile rank (remember to add "1" to the tens column of the
percentile rank to get the decile rank) (The first decile includes the first to 9.99th percentile, so that's why you add a "1" to the tens column to find the decile)

The 4th deciles goes up to the 39.9th percentile. The 40th percentile start the 4th decile.

Quartiles
-scores of students are arranged in rank order from lowest to highest -the scores are divided into 4 equally sized groups or bands
(Or divide the percentiles into bands of 25 percentile ranks)

-the lowest score is "in the 1st quartile" -the highest score is "in the 4th quartile"
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1st quartile is 1st to 24.9th percentile 2nd quartile is 25th to 49.9th percentile etc.

Summation or sigma notation is a convenient and simple

form of shorthand used to give a concise expression for a sum of the values of a variable.
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Let x1, x2, x3, xn denote a set of n numbers. x1 is the first number in the set. xi represents the ith number in the set. Summation notation involves: The summation sign This appears as the symbol, S, which is the Greek upper case letter, S. The summation sign, S, instructs us to sum the elements of a sequence. A typical element of the sequence which is being summed appears to the right of the summation sign. The variable of summation, i.e. the variable which is being summed The variable of summation is represented by an index which is placed beneath the summation sign. The index is often represented by i. (Other common possibilities for representation of the index are j and t.) The index appears as the expression i = 1. The index assumes values starting with the value on the right hand side of the equation and ending with the value above the summation sign. The starting point for the summation or the lower limit of the summation The stopping point for the summation or the upper limit of summation