Median
The median is the simplest summary of a distribution's centre, with the same number of values above and below it.
Mean
Another number that summarises a distribution's centre is its mean. This is found by adding all the values, then dividing by the number of values, n.
Its value is easiest to understand as a "point of balance", as explained in the following examples.
Software support time
Sunshine hours
For a skew distribution such as this, the mean is further into the long tail than you might have expected! |