02 / MATH & LEARNING
Mean absolute deviation calculator.
Find the mean and MAD, with a table of absolute deviations.
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Questions & answers
What does mean absolute deviation tell me?
It measures the average distance of the values from their arithmetic mean, in the same units as the data. A result of zero means all entered values are equal.
Is this the same as median absolute deviation?
No. This tool averages distances from the mean. Median absolute deviation instead takes the median of distances from the median. Both can be abbreviated MAD, so check which definition your question requires.
Should I divide by n or n minus 1?
Divide the sum of absolute distances by n, the number of values. This calculation does not use the n minus 1 adjustment from sample variance. Displayed decimals are rounded, so calculate from the original values rather than rounded intermediate results.