What is a mean in maths?

Answer 1

The mean is the average of a given set of numbers. You add the numbers together and divide the sum by the amount of numbers. For example, you would find the mean of 4,5,6,7, and 8 by adding them together to get 30. There are 5 numbers so you divide 30 by 5 and you get 6 which is your mean.

An average

Answer 2

In any given set, the mean is the average, which is the total of the numbers divided by how many numbers there are.

Ex. (10, 17, 20, 45, 68)

68 + 45 + 20 + 17 + 10 = 160

There are 5 numbers in this set.

160/5 = 32

The mean is 32.

Answer 3

There are several means in maths: the arithmetic mean, the geometric mean and the harmonic mean being the three main ones. If unspecified, a mean would normally - but not always - refer to the arithmetic mean. The arithmetic mean of a finite set of values is the sum of the values divided by their count.

The mean can also refer to the expected value of distribution of a statistical variable. In the case of a discrete variable it is the arithmetic mean as described above but, in the case of a continuous variable, X, with probability density function p(x), it is the integral of x*p(x) with respect to x over the domain of x.