What is the purpose of Measures of Center like mean, median, and mode? Explain why we use mean, median, and mode.
Measures of center like mean, median, and mode are used to describe a set of data by summarizing its central tendency or the typical value around which the data points cluster. These measures provide information about the distribution of the data and its overall characteristics, and can help identify outliers and anomalies.
The mean is calculated as the sum of all the data points divided by the number of data points. It is a useful measure of center when the data is normally distributed or symmetrically distributed around the mean, and is affected by outliers.
The median is the middle value in a ranked list of the data points, and is a robust measure of center that is not affected by outliers. It is particularly useful when the data is skewed or has extreme values.
The mode is the most frequently occurring value in the data set, and is useful in identifying the most common value or trend in the data.
In summary, measures of center are used to provide a concise summary of the central tendency of the data and help in understanding the distribution of the data. By using multiple measures of center, we can obtain a more complete understanding of the data set and its characteristics.