Challenge for all you Opponauts out there: Edit: Challenge complete

"All Motor Is Best Motor" (acidicheartburn) 01/20/2014 at 23:24 • Filed to: None

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Tell me the definition of average, as in an average value calculated from a set of numbers. Ex: The average height of a population.

Do not tell me how to calculate an average. Tell me what it MEANS. Try as I might, I have only found one source on the internet after 10 minutes of searching that defines what an average is instead of how to calculate an average, but it's a definition of philosophy.

Example: A quick google search for "definition of average" brings up the following definition:

the result obtained by adding several quantities together and then dividing this total by the number of quantities; the mean.

This is not the definition of what average is, it only tells you how to find it.

I already have two real definitions of what average is, one my own and one from my old junior high math teacher from many years ago.

EDIT: Good job with the definitions. I like having thought-provoking discussions that dabble a little bit in philosophy.

The old definition from my junior high math teacher (as best I can remember it) is as follows: "A number that reflects the entire group of numbers if they were all exactly the same." I never really cared that much for this definition, but seeing as how the it came from a highly educated math teacher that served on U.S. nuclear submarines I've always respected it.

My own definition is this: (Mathematical) average is a number that is most probably representative of a given range of values in a group of numbers (or data set).

Double Edit: It was pointed out to me that I should specify, at least for the mathematical definition of average, I am referring to mean average. Median and mode average are different.

Here's a sexy McLaren F1 butt for your troubles:

ddavidn > All Motor Is Best Motor 01/20/2014 at 23:28

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Dat ass.

Average expresses the typical value of a set of data. Not sure if that's what you're going after but am interested to hear your answers.

THOMAS5 > All Motor Is Best Motor 01/20/2014 at 23:29

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Corolla

Tom McParland > All Motor Is Best Motor 01/20/2014 at 23:29

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Duude...that requires way too much brain power right now. I think I will just stare at DAT ass of the F1. :)

All Motor Is Best Motor > THOMAS5 01/20/2014 at 23:30

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10 points for Gryffindor!

JustWaitingForAMate > All Motor Is Best Motor 01/20/2014 at 23:32

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The central value for a probability distribution.

JR1 > All Motor Is Best Motor 01/20/2014 at 23:32

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Average is the general example of a type of objects, this example best defines the objects.
Unfortunate Reference

All Motor Is Best Motor > ddavidn 01/20/2014 at 23:33

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That's actually pretty dang close to what I had in mind. Your definition is a lot more concise than either of mine. GJ. Most people don't come to the same definition as you have so quickly.

Have another sexy McLaren F1 butt!

All Motor Is Best Motor > JustWaitingForAMate 01/20/2014 at 23:36

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GJ, have another sexy McLaren F1 butt!

ddavidn > All Motor Is Best Motor 01/20/2014 at 23:37

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Wow. I'm terrible at math, that's just something I came up with (assuming I've heard it somewhere before) off the top of my head. I will still be checking back to hear yours...

All Motor Is Best Motor > ddavidn 01/20/2014 at 23:42

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I got Kinja'd, let me try again with that McLaren F1 butt you were promised:

All Motor Is Best Motor > JR1 01/20/2014 at 23:43

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GJ, lol @ the reference. I think we need some eyebleach after that image. Here's some:

Ian Duer (320b) > All Motor Is Best Motor 01/20/2014 at 23:47

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Example: if pulling a lever dispenses an average of 1 liter you would know that even if individual pulls may dispense 1.1 l or .9 l your expected total volume dispensed after X pulls will approach X liters as the number of pulls grows.

beardsbynelly - Rikerbeard > All Motor Is Best Motor 01/20/2014 at 23:49

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the term average comes from shipping, it's a determination of the liability for damaged goods.

All Motor Is Best Motor > Ian Duer (320b) 01/20/2014 at 23:53

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I'll give you that one. It's a bit of a more complicated way of saying it, but it works.

Here's some side-butt!

RMudkips > All Motor Is Best Motor 01/20/2014 at 23:54

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Average - a "normal" value from a set of data.

Yeah, not good with definitions.

All Motor Is Best Motor > RMudkips 01/20/2014 at 23:55

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This one is slightly tricky. You have to think about it. It's something I think everyone all understands, an average, but it takes a bit of thinking to put it into easily understood words.

KB Garage > All Motor Is Best Motor 01/20/2014 at 23:56

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I don't know what you want here, but since I'm related to mobile, here is my first gergle result for "average car," apparently a ZX2. Now look at what you've done...

KB Garage > KB Garage 01/20/2014 at 23:57

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I TYPED RELEGATED NOT RELATED

Screw you kinja for subtracting my editing abilities from your less than average user-friendliness.

Matt Brown > All Motor Is Best Motor 01/20/2014 at 23:58

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An average of a set of numbers means that half of the numbers are below that average and half are above it.

All Motor Is Best Motor > KB Garage 01/20/2014 at 23:59

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Aaron James > All Motor Is Best Motor 01/21/2014 at 00:00

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Average or mean is a measure of central tendency. Or as my really polite high school girlfriend once told me 6 inches. A calculated central value of a set of numbers, Something that is between two extremes or opposites, The middle, the midpoint, having an equal proportion of greater and lessor values. Do you have to define it for a class or something, or is it just for personal satisfaction.

All Motor Is Best Motor > All Motor Is Best Motor 01/21/2014 at 00:01

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Kinja'd again.

Matt Brown > Matt Brown 01/21/2014 at 00:01

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For instance, if you ask Oppo to answer your homework questions, your grade will likely be part of the 50% that ends up below the average number.

All Motor Is Best Motor > Aaron James 01/21/2014 at 00:04

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Lol, personal satisfaction? In a way. I like thought provoking discussions seeped in a bit of philosophy. GJ on the definition, and you made me LOL, so here you go:

All Motor Is Best Motor > Matt Brown 01/21/2014 at 00:07

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Lol, it's not a homework question, it's just something that came to mind. I can see how it would seem like one. My actual "homework questions" involve things like explaining what the reported vital capacity of a group of women means when the range of values is represented by 3500 + or - 125 mL.

Jayhawk Jake > ddavidn 01/21/2014 at 00:09

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This.

KB Garage > All Motor Is Best Motor 01/21/2014 at 00:14

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Okay, my neighbors heard me laughing at that.

Team6.1 > All Motor Is Best Motor 01/21/2014 at 00:15

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I'm an engineering major. Math is always the answer. Although average could also mean multiple things mathematically so I would hesitate to give it 1 verbal definition. I much prefer mean, median, and mode. Although "Mean, median, mode" would be my verbal answer.

RMudkips > All Motor Is Best Motor 01/21/2014 at 00:18

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This may take a while...

An average expresses the typical result of a given group or set.

soto > All Motor Is Best Motor 01/21/2014 at 00:22

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Snapped a pic of this one... Ralph Lauren's. I have a whole Gallery of his cars...it's sick.

ttyymmnn > All Motor Is Best Motor 01/21/2014 at 00:24

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Funny you should ask this, because just last November I had an interesting discussion about averages here on Oppo. Here's the link, and if you're interested, I'll let you know what my brother had to add to it. He's no statistician, but he did teach HS algebra for a number of years, and spent a few years working as an actuary.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

soto > soto 01/21/2014 at 00:24

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FU Kinja. won't work...imagine my picture in your head.

Aaron James > All Motor Is Best Motor 01/21/2014 at 00:31

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I've always been a big fan of the ahem, back end, if you will. A very wise man once told me to marry the ass and buy the tits later. Turned out to be crucial advice as it's much easier to modify the fascia than the valance.

All Motor Is Best Motor > Team6.1 01/21/2014 at 00:39

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I suppose I should specify, at least for the mathematical definition, that I was referring to the most commonly used form of average, the mean average. Median and mode a different indeed.

All Motor Is Best Motor > RMudkips 01/21/2014 at 00:40

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That's actually a very good definition! Bravo!

All Motor Is Best Motor > ttyymmnn 01/21/2014 at 00:46

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Wow, that's a great discussion! Very interesting. I also learned that there's a term for the average they always want you to use in chemistry and physics: the truncated mean. We always were always told to refer to the highest and lowest numbers as outliers and discard them when taking an average of a data set.

ttyymmnn > All Motor Is Best Motor 01/21/2014 at 00:52

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This is what my brother had to say pursuant to that Oppo discussion:

The median is the middle value — or the average of the two middle values if there are an even number — with the values arranged in order from low to high.

Consider the vehicles at my house: two trailers, two bicycles and four automobiles. Excluding spares, the numbers of tires can be listed thus: {2, 2, 2, 2, 4, 4, 4, 4}. The median value is the middle of that list, or 3, since 3 is the average of 2 and 4. Scratch a bicycle, and the median becomes 4.

The original data set has no mode, since there is no single value that appears the most often.

So the commenter's example of 4 as the mode for the number of wheels on the ground is a good example. But his use of the phrase any average other than the mean , is a foul ball. Mean, median and mode are measures of central tendency. I am absolutely NOT any sort of statistician.

I followed with:

Interesting, and well explained. So "a measure of central tendency" is not the same as an average? Or is it just a more exact explanation of the phenomenon?

When [my son] first brought this stuff home, he was said "mean" and I said, "That's the same as the average." Is this an incorrect statement? Are we quibbling over terms? Or is average more generic while mean is more specific?

And he replied:

There are multiple kinds of means, but generally, the arithmetic mean, or average , is what we mean when we say "mean."

The average is one of a number of different measures of central tendency.

All Motor Is Best Motor > ttyymmnn 01/21/2014 at 00:59

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A lot of that is beginning to come back to me. I went to a combined junior high + high school that focused on science and math (still suck at math), and we had I think an entire week spent on learning the differences between mean, median, and mode. Ever since then, I've come to understand that there are different types of "averages" but the most commonly referred to form of "average" is the mean average.

All Motor Is Best Motor > Aaron James 01/21/2014 at 01:03

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You are a funny guy. Sadly, I'm not so gifted in the ways of humor. It's why I could never be a writer for the Gawker empire.

ttyymmnn > All Motor Is Best Motor 01/21/2014 at 01:07

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I'm not a math guy at all. I'm a musician, and all I need to do is count to three. But I have a craving for knowledge, and I like to know what these terms mean, even if I'll never use them on a daily basis. Plus, I need to be able to explain it to my kids. God help them when they get to HS algebra because I won't be able to.

RMudkips > All Motor Is Best Motor 01/21/2014 at 08:28

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I just thought of how I'd explain it to my kid, glad you like it.

ddavidn > All Motor Is Best Motor 01/21/2014 at 11:28

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We should do this again, it was fun. But your definition hurts my head, that's probably why I made a simpler one...