Median
The Median is a central value of a data set. Compared to the mean the median is not sensitive to extreme values ("outliers").
To calculate the median, you must first order all the numbers. Then it is differentiated whether there is an even or odd number of numbers:
i
Method
- For an odd number, the median is the “middle“ value of the data series.
- For an even number, the median is the average of the two “middle“ values of the data series.
Examples
- $2, 4, \textbf{5}, 9, 14$: The median is $5$.
- $8, 8, \textbf{12}, \textbf{14}, 18, 23$: The median is $13$ ($\frac{12+14}{2}=13$).
- Let's take the example of the mean again. Let's say Peter earned 50 € another day. The mean would then be 23.40 €. Now let's calculate the median:
$9€, 15€, \textbf{18€}, 25€, 50€$: The median is $18€$.
Here we notice that the median is significantly less sensitive to extreme values than the mean.