arithmetic mean

Also known as statistical mean value, statistical mean, arithmetic mean value, AM, mean, average

sum of a collection of numbers divided by the number of numbers in the collection

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The arithmetic mean, commonly known as the average, is calculated by adding up all the numbers in a group and dividing by how many numbers there are. It matters because it gives you a single, simple number that represents the typical value of a collection, making it easier to understand and compare groups of data at a glance.

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Commons category: Arithmetic mean

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In mathematics and statistics, the arithmetic mean ( /ˌærɪθˈmɛtɪk/ arr-ith-MET-ik), arithmetic average, or just the mean or average is the sum of a collection of numbers divided by the count of numbers in the collection. The collection is often a set of results from an experiment, an observational study, or a survey. The term "arithmetic mean" is preferred in some contexts in mathematics and statistics because it helps to distinguish it from other types of means, such as geometric and harmonic.

Arithmetic means are also frequently used in economics, anthropology, history, and almost every other academic field to some extent. For example, per capita income is the arithmetic average of the income of a nation's population.