What does the term "mean" refer to in a statistical context?

In a statistical context, the term "mean" specifically refers to the average of a dataset. To calculate the mean, you sum all the values in the dataset and then divide that total by the number of values. This measure provides a central tendency, representing a typical or expected value within the dataset.

The concept of the mean is essential in various applications, such as analyzing trends, making decisions based on data, or summarizing findings. It allows for comparisons across different datasets by providing a uniform metric of centrality.

The term does not refer to the total of all values, which is simply the sum without any normalization or division. Additionally, it does not describe the highest value in a dataset, and it is distinct from a median, which is a specified value dividing the dataset into two equal parts. Understanding the mean is fundamental in statistics as it encapsulates a key concept of how data can be summarized and interpreted.