MEDIAN

[Andreas J Guelzow <aguelzow@math.concordia.ab.ca>]

There has been some heated argument on the Gnumeric list regarding the
definition of the MEDIAN function. Apparently some, at least one, do not
like the term "sort" in this context since one can calculate the median
without sorting the data.

Prof. J.C. Nash of the University of Ottawa then (after likening the
discussion to the historical argument of how many angels fit onto the
tip of a needle) said that if he would write the definition of the
median in the OpenFormula TC he may want to change a single word there:

MEDIAN logically _ranks_ the numbers (lowest to highest).  If given an 
odd number of values, MEDIAN returns the middle value. If given an even
number of values, MEDIAN returns the arithmetic average of the two
middle values.

(The change is to replace "sorts" with "ranks" as indicated.)

And of course to make a similar replacement in teh formula description
that follows.

I would like to propose that change to the TC. (Since it does not make
any difference in the definition but may remove some future arguments.)

Andreas
-- 
Prof. Dr. Andreas J. Guelzow
Dept. of Mathematical & Computing Sciences
Concordia University College of Alberta