Aggregation Math Example 2
Follow the full solution, then compare it with the other examples linked below.
Example 2
easyDaily temperatures: Mon=20°, Tue=22°, Wed=19°, Thu=25°, Fri=21°. Calculate the weekly mean and explain what aggregation loses and preserves.
Solution
- 1 Weekly mean:
- 2 What aggregation preserves: the central tendency (typical temperature for the week)
- 3 What aggregation loses: day-to-day variability (Thursday's extreme 25° is hidden); temporal pattern (any trend across the week); individual extremes that might be practically important
Answer
Weekly mean = 21.4°C. Aggregation preserves center but loses variability, patterns, and extremes.
Aggregation simplifies data by summarizing many values into fewer numbers. This is powerful (reduces complexity) but lossy (hides variation). Good statistical practice reports both summary statistics and measures of variability to preserve key information.
About Aggregation
Aggregation is the process of combining many individual data values into a single summary statistic such as a sum, mean, count, or proportion.
Learn more about Aggregation →More Aggregation Examples
Example 1 medium
Simpson's Paradox: Hospital A has a 90% recovery rate overall. Hospital B has 85%. However, for seve
Example 3 easyMonthly sales ($thousands): Jan–Mar: 50, 60, 55; Apr–Jun: 80, 90, 85; Jul–Sep: 40, 35, 45. Calculate
Example 4 hardA school reports average SAT scores improved 20 points. But when broken down by income group, scores