STATISTICS 355

Median is the mean of the 15th and 16th observations. Both of these observations
lie in the cumulative frequency 18, for which the corresponding observation is 13.
15th observation + 16th observation 13 + 13
Therefore, Median M = = = 13
2 2
Now, absolute values of the deviations from median, i.e., xi − M are shown in
Table 15.3.
Table 15.3

xi − M 10 7 4 1 0 2 8 9

fi 3 4 5 2 4 5 4 3

f i xi − M 30 28 20 2 0 10 32 27

8 8

We have ∑f
i =1
i = 30 and ∑f
i =1
i xi − M = 149

8
1
Therefore M. D. (M) =
N
∑ fi xi − M
i =1

1
= × 149 = 4.97.
30
(b) Continuous frequency distribution A continuous frequency distribution is a series
in which the data are classified into different class-intervals without gaps alongwith
their respective frequencies.
For example, marks obtained by 100 students are presented in a continuous
frequency distribution as follows :

Marks obtained 0-10 10-20 20-30 30-40 40-50 50-60

Number of Students 12 18 27 20 17 6

(i) Mean deviation about mean While calculating the mean of a continuous frequency
distribution, we had made the assumption that the frequency in each class is centred at
its mid-point. Here also, we write the mid-point of each given class and proceed further
as for a discrete frequency distribution to find the mean deviation.
Let us take the following example.


356 MATHEMATICS

Example 6 Find the mean deviation about the mean for the following data.

Marks obtained 10-20 20-30 30-40 40-50 50-60 60-70 70-80

Number of students 2 3 8 14 8 3 2

Solution We make the following Table 15.4 from the given data :
Table 15.4

Marks Number of Mid-points f ix i xi − x fi xi − x

obtained students
fi xi
10-20 2 15 30 30 60
20-30 3 25 75 20 60
30-40 8 35 280 10 80
40-50 14 45 630 0 0
50-60 8 55 440 10 80
60-70 3 65 195 20 60
70-80 2 75 150 30 60
40 1800 400

7 7 7
Here N = ∑ fi = 40, ∑ fi xi = 1800, ∑ fi xi − x = 400
i =1 i =1 i =1

1 7 1800
Therefore x= ∑
N i =1
fi xi =
40
= 45

1 7 1
and M.D. ( x ) = ∑ fi xi − x = × 400 = 10
N i =1 40

Shortcut method for calculating mean deviation about mean We can avoid the
tedious calculations of computing x by following step-deviation method. Recall that in
this method, we take an assumed mean which is in the middle or just close to it in the
data. Then deviations of the observations (or mid-points of classes) are taken from the


 STATISTICS 357

assumed mean. This is nothing but the shifting of origin from zero to the assumed mean
on the number line, as shown in Fig 15.3

Fig 15.3

If there is a common factor of all the deviations, we divide them by this common
factor to further simplify the deviations. These are known as step-deviations. The
process of taking step-deviations is the change of scale on the number line as shown in
Fig 15.4

Fig 15.4

The deviations and step-deviations reduce the size of the observations, so that the
computations viz. multiplication, etc., become simpler. Let, the new variable be denoted
xi − a
by d i = , where ‘a’ is the assumed mean and h is the common factor. Then, the
h
mean x by step-deviation method is given by
n
∑ f i di
x = a + =1
i ×h
N
Let us take the data of Example 6 and find the mean deviation by using step-
deviation method.


358 MATHEMATICS

Take the assumed mean a = 45 and h = 10, and form the following Table 15.5.
Table 15.5
xi − 45
Marks Number of Mid-points di = fi d i xi − x f i xi − x
obtained students 10
fi xi
10-20 2 15 –3 –6 30 60
20-30 3 25 –2 –6 20 60
30-40 8 35 –1 –8 10 80
40-50 14 45 0 0 0 0
50-60 8 55 1 8 10 80
60-70 3 65 2 6 20 60
70-80 2 75 3 6 30 60

40 0 400

7
∑ fi d i
Therefore x = a + i=1 ×h
N
0
= 45 + × 10 = 45
40
7
1 400
and M .D. (x ) =
N
∑ fi xi − x =
40
= 10
i =1

A Note The step deviation method is applied to compute x . Rest of the procedure
is same.
(ii) Mean deviation about median The process of finding the mean deviation about
median for a continuous frequency distribution is similar as we did for mean deviation
about the mean. The only difference lies in the replacement of the mean by median
while taking deviations.
Let us recall the process of finding median for a continuous frequency distribution.
The data is first arranged in ascending order. Then, the median of continuous
frequency distribution is obtained by first identifying the class in which median lies
(median class) and then applying the formula