MODE
Mode identifies the most popular item
Some times a set of data is obtained where it is appropriate to measure a
representative value in terms of popularity
The mode is the value that appears most frequently in a data set ie has the
highest frequency
A set of data may have one mode, more than one mode, or no mode at all.
Mode for ungrouped data
Determine the mode for the data 60, 25, 30, 55, 60, 85, 45, 85, 60:
Mode = 60
What is the mode for 12, 15, 10, 12, 25, 15, 15, 20, 12
Mode = 12 & 15 with a modal frequency of 3
Mode for Grouped Data
For a grouped frequency distribution, the mode
cannot be determined exactly and so must be
estimated. Hence, we employ two methods
• Interpolation method, using the formular
• Graphical method using the Histogram
10-20
20-30
30-40
10-20 10
20-40 20
40-45 5
14
𝑀𝑜𝑑𝑒 = 35 + × 5 = 37.92 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠
14 + 10
MEDIAN
• The median of a set of data is the value of that item which lies exactly half
way along the set
• the data set should be rearranged in an array format (either ascending or
descending order) first before the median is determined.
COMPUTATION OF THE MEDIAN FOR
UNGROUPED DATA
• Case I: For an odd number of data • Case II: For an even number of
set values; where N = odd number data values; where N = even
• Here, the middle term shall be • In this case, an average of the
selected as the median. middle two terms must be
computed; this gives the median.
𝑁+1) 𝑡ℎ
• We use the expression to
2
give the position of the median
value where the size of the data
set, N is odd number
Example 1
Determine the median for 50, 12, 45, 40, 52, 70, 5
Re-arrange the data values either in ascending or descending order:
Ascending is order commonly used 5, 12, 40, 45, 50, 52, 70; N = 7 which is
odd!
Position of the median = (n+1)/2 = (7+1)/2 = 4th
The middle term (4th term) is 45; It has an equal number of items below &
above it
Example 2
Determine the median for 80, 56, 42, 65, 45, 80, 95, 90
On rearranging we have: 42, 45, 56, 65, 80, 80, 90, 95
Two middle terms are 65 & 80 • Average of 65 & 80 = (65 + 80)/2 =72.5
Median = 72.5.
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE
OGIVE (CUMULATIVE FREQUENCY CURVE)
QUARTILES
These are the measures which divide the data into four equal parts, each
portion contains equal number of observations. There are three
quartiles.
The first Quartile (denoted by Q1) or lower quartile has 25% of the
items of the distribution below it and 75% of the items are greater
than it.
The second Quartile (denoted by Q2) or median has 50% of items
below it and 50% of the observations above it.
The third Quartile (denoted by Q3) or upper Quartile has 75% of the
items of the distribution below it and 25% of the items above it.
Thus, Q1 and Q3 denote the two limits within which central 50% of
the data lies.
EXAMPLE
For ungrouped data, the position of
1
Q1 is given by 4 𝑛 + 1 𝑡ℎ value,
3
while that of Q3 by 4 𝑛 + 1 𝑡ℎ
value. In each case 𝑛 is the number
of observations.
Find the lower and upper quartiles of
the following set of numbers:
(a) 3, 12, 4, 6, 8, 5, 4.
(b) (b) 10, 12, 13, 15, 19, 19, 24, 26,
26
For grouped data
Quartile deviation/Semi interquartile range
33.58 − 15.5
𝑆𝑒𝑚𝑖 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑟 𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 =
2
FINDING QUARTILES, PERCENTILES AND DECILES FROM THE
OGIVE
Note that for determination of quantiles, percentiles
and deciles from the cumulative curve, we follow the
same procedure as per the median. It is only the
position of the respective quantiles, percentiles and
deciles that change
FINDING QUARTILES FROM THE OGIVE
Thus on the cumulative frequency curve (Ogive), the lower
1 𝑡ℎ
quartile, Q1corresponds to the reading, Median to the
4
1 𝑡ℎ 3 𝑡ℎ
reading and the upper quartile, Q3 to the reading.
2 4
EXAMPLE
Percentiles
Percentiles divide the distribution into hundred equal
parts, so you can get 99 dividing positions denoted by 𝑃1
𝑃2 𝑃3 …….. 𝑃99 .
𝑃1 shows that 1% of the data set is below it
𝑃2 represents 2% of the data set below it
𝑃80 would show that 80% of the data set is below
𝑃50 is the median value or the middle quartile
EXAMPLE
POSITIVELY SKEWED DISTRIBUTION
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MEAN, MEDIAN
AND MODE
MEASURE OF DISPERSION
• Measures of dispersion are non-negative real numbers that help to gauge the
spread of data about a central value.
• These measures help to determine how stretched or squeezed the given data is.
• The most important use of measures of dispersion is that they help to get an
understanding of the distribution of data.
• As the data becomes more diverse, the value of the measure of dispersion
increases.
• It should be noted that whenever a measure of location is used to estimate a data
set, an error term is created and this is defined by the measure of dispersion
MEASURES OF DISPERSION INCLUDE:
• • The Range
• Quartile Deviation (Semi-Interquartile Range)
• Decile and percentile Range
• Quartile Coefficient of dispersion
• Mean Deviation
• Variance and Standard deviation
THE RANGE
• This is defined to be the numerical difference between the largest value
and the lowest value in a given data set. Range = Largest Value – Lowest
Value
COEFFICIENT OF RANGE
• This is the relative measure of range. It is given by
𝐻𝑉 − 𝐿𝑉
𝐶𝑂𝑅 =
𝐻𝑉 + 𝐿𝑉
𝑄3 − 𝑄1
𝑄𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝐷𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 =
2
𝑄3 −𝑄1
𝑄𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝐶𝑜𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛 = ,
𝑄3 +𝑄1
Mean (Absolute) Deviation
This is a measure of dispersion that gives the average absolute difference (ignore
‘minus’ signs) between each item and the arithmetic mean
THE COEFFICIENT OF VARIATION/DISPERSION
• This is defined as the ratio of the standard deviation to the mean expressed as a
percentage. It’s used to compare two different distributions with regard to
variability.
• For instance, comparing the degree of variability in the distributions between
age and weight (where different units are being compared, in this case years
against kilograms) The higher the rate, then the higher the degree of variability
in that given variable.
• Hence, Coefficient of variation therefore given by
𝝈
𝑪𝑽 = ×100 where: 𝜎 = Standard deviation µ = Mean or average
µ