Does computing median require set to be ordered?
This topic has expert replies
-
- Master | Next Rank: 500 Posts
- Posts: 132
- Joined: Thu Dec 02, 2010 2:49 am
- Thanked: 5 times
Suppose we have a set {8, -1, 3, 6, 2 } do we need to order the set before computing the median, this may be silly but I ask this specifically because here https://www.beatthegmat.com/is-the-range ... 57095.html I learnt that range does not require a set be ordered.
- vineeshp
- Legendary Member
- Posts: 965
- Joined: Thu Jan 28, 2010 12:52 am
- Thanked: 156 times
- Followed by:34 members
- GMAT Score:720
For median, It requires to be.
you can only find range of 4 1 3 8 2 if it is in proper order.
For range too, you need to find distance between max and min. So, only if you arrange, you can get the biggest and smallest values.
In that thread too, they end up doing the same thing. They find the difference between smallest and largest, right?
Is it clear now?
you can only find range of 4 1 3 8 2 if it is in proper order.
For range too, you need to find distance between max and min. So, only if you arrange, you can get the biggest and smallest values.
In that thread too, they end up doing the same thing. They find the difference between smallest and largest, right?
Is it clear now?
Vineesh,
Just telling you what I know and think. I am not the expert.
Just telling you what I know and think. I am not the expert.
GMAT/MBA Expert
- Ian Stewart
- GMAT Instructor
- Posts: 2621
- Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2008 3:17 am
- Location: Montreal
- Thanked: 1090 times
- Followed by:355 members
- GMAT Score:780
Technically, sets do not have any 'order'. That is, the set {1, 3, 7} is exactly the same set as {3, 1, 7}. If a set has an odd number of elements, the median of that set is the "middle number" when your set is written in increasing (or decreasing) order (of course with an even number of elements, we need to average the two "middle numbers" to find the median). The median may not be the number that 'looks like' it's in the middle. If you have a set {a, b, c}, we can be certain that the median is equal to one of a, b or c, but we can't say which unless we know the ordering of the set; without additional information, do not make the mistake of assuming the median is b. Similarly, you should *not* assume the range of the set {a, b, c} is equal to c-a unless you know the set is written in increasing order.RadiumBall wrote:Suppose we have a set {8, -1, 3, 6, 2 } do we need to order the set before computing the median, this may be silly but I ask this specifically because here https://www.beatthegmat.com/is-the-range ... 57095.html I learnt that range does not require a set be ordered.
For online GMAT math tutoring, or to buy my higher-level Quant books and problem sets, contact me at ianstewartgmat at gmail.com
ianstewartgmat.com
ianstewartgmat.com