The range is routinely considered a measure of dispersion or
variability. Applying your definition to a sample of data in which
every measurement is identical (for example, 100 body weights, with each
body weight being 50 grams), then--even though there is no dispersion,
no variability, among the data--the range would be expressed as 1 (in
this case, 1 gram).
Interesting.
Jerrold H. Zar
Associate Provost for Graduate Studies and Research
and Dean of the Graduate School
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, IL 60115-2864
815-753-1883 fax: 815-753-6366 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>> jeff rasmussen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 10/04/01 05:24PM >>>
Dear statistically-enamored,
There was a question in my undergrad class concerning how to
define the
range, where a student pointed out that contrary to my edict, the range
was
"the difference between the maximum & minimum". I'd always believed
that
the correct answer was the "difference between the maximum & minimum
plus
one"; and irrespective of what the students' textbook and also SPSS
said
(when I ran some numbers through it) I thought that was the commonly
accepted answer. I favor the "plus one" account as I feel that it
balances
out the "minus one" of degrees of freedom and thus puts the Tao
correctly
in balance. I asked a colleague who also came up with the same
answer.
Below in I and II are answers from internet sites that also agree.
There are also however some sites that define it nakedly as
"the
difference between the maximum & minimum"; my theory is that the Evil
SPSS
Empire bought them off as part of their plan for world domination....
<snip>
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