Tables of other values
Not all columns of values form partitions. The sum of two values for many types of measurement is not meaningful.
For some types of measurement, you need to think more carefully.
The important question to ask is:
Does the sum of two values in the table have any meaning?
It is important to recognise when a column of values does not form a partition since some graphical displays of data are only applicable to partitions.
Life expectancy in Asian countries
The table below shows the life expectancy in all countries in East Asia in 2005.
Country | Life expectancy (years) |
---|---|
Brunei Darussalam Cambodia China Hong Kong (China) Indonesia Japan Laos Macao (China) Malaysia Myanmar North Korea Philippines Singapore South Korea Thailand Timor-Leste Viet Nam |
76.3 56.8 72.0 81.5 68.6 81.9 61.9 80.0 73.0 59.9 66.7 70.3 78.8 77.0 68.6 58.3 73.0 |
These values do not form a partition since the sum of pairs of values cannot be interpreted, and it would be meaningless to add a row to the table with the total of the values.