From: Avi Bryant <avi@...4.com>
Date: 2001-10-26T04:41:12+09:00
Subject: [ruby-talk:23340] [OT] half below average

On Fri, 26 Oct 2001, Joel Neely wrote:

> But, unfortunately, not true.
>
> Half of all X are below the *median*, but not below the average
> unless there's a totally symmetric distribution, which rarely
> happens in nature.

To nitpick the nitpick - things in nature often have a gaussian (normal)
distribution, which is indeed symmetric.  Human height, etc, show a normal
distribution, and I don't see why programming skill wouldn't.

IANAS (I am not a statistican), however.

Cheers,
avi

> For the collection of scores
>
>     50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 100
>
> 90% are below average.
>
> -jn-
>
> brucedickey wrote:
> >
> > Good one.
> >
> > > From: Ned Konz
> > >
> > > Oddly enough, half of all programmers are below average...
>
>