What is the median in a dataset?

The median in a dataset is defined as the middle number when all the values are arranged in ascending or descending order. To determine the median, the data first needs to be organized. If there is an odd number of values, the median is the number that is exactly in the center of the list. If there is an even number of values, the median is calculated as the average of the two central numbers.

This concept is particularly valuable because the median is not affected by extreme values (outliers) in the dataset, which may skew the mean. It provides a more accurate representation of the central tendency when the dataset contains such outliers.

Understanding this definition helps distinguish the median from other statistical measures such as the mode, which is the most frequently occurring value, and the mean, which is the arithmetic average.