1. What is the Median?

The median is the middle value in a sorted dataset. It's a measure of central tendency that divides the dataset into two equal halves. Unlike the mean, it's not affected by extremely high or low values.

2. How to Calculate the Median

The median is calculated using the following steps:

Example 1 (odd count): Dataset [3, 1, 2] → Sorted [1, 2, 3] → Median = 2

Example 2 (even count): Dataset [4, 1, 3, 2] → Sorted [1, 2, 3, 4] → Median = (2 + 3)/2 = 2.5

3. When to Use the Median

Details: The median is particularly useful when:

• Your data has outliers that might skew the mean
• You're working with ordinal data
• Your distribution is skewed
• You want to know the "typical" value unaffected by extremes

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter your dataset as comma-separated values (e.g., "5, 3, 7, 1"). The calculator will:

• Parse and validate the input
• Sort the values
• Calculate and display the median
• Show the sorted dataset for verification

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the difference between median and mean?
A: The mean is the average (sum divided by count), while the median is the middle value. The median is more robust to outliers.

Q2: When should I use median instead of mean?
A: Use median when your data is skewed or has outliers that would distort the mean.

Q3: Can I calculate median for categorical data?
A: Only for ordinal categorical data (where categories have a meaningful order).

Q4: How does median handle even vs. odd datasets?
A: For odd counts, it's the exact middle. For even counts, it's the average of the two middle values.

Q5: Is median affected by extreme values?
A: No, that's one of its main advantages over the mean.