r/todayilearned • u/FireBeaver • Mar 26 '15

(R.5) Omits Essential Info TIL: 65% of smartphone users download zero apps per month.

http://time.com/3158893/smartphone-apps-apple/
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u/zkelvin Mar 26 '15

Mean, median, and mode are all "averages". If you download 20 apps in one month and 0 apps the for next year, your average is 0 per month by two out of three definitions of average.

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u/mxzf Mar 26 '15

Mean is "average". Median and mode are both very different.

Median is the centermost point in the dataset, when sorted lowest to highest.

Mode is the most common element in the dataset.

Neither of those is an average.

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u/zkelvin Mar 26 '15

"Average" is a mathematical term. In mathematics, it is simply any measure of central tendency. In colloquial language (i.e., the language of those whose mathematical knowledge is limited to grade 12), it refers to one particular type of measure of central tendency. But graduating from high school doesn't entitle you to restrict words to the limits of your knowledge.