A quartile is the name of a mathmatical expression used in the calculation of
statistics, and is often part of a
five-part summary. Commonly composed, the
five-part summary reflects so:
Minimum of
n
Lower Quartile (Q
1)
Median
Upper Quartile (Q
3)
Maximum of
n
The minimum value here is merely the lowest occuring variable of
n.
The lower quartile can be found by using the equation: Q
1=.25(
n+1)
When calculating the lower or upper quartile, it is possible that your Number will be a solid integer. If this is the case, mere go to that number's place in the list and select it. Here is an example:
If the lower quartile is equal to three in the following set: 1, 5, 5, 6, 7, 7, you would choose the third number in the set, 5, as the lower quartile. If, however, it were 3.5, then you would take the third and fourth numbers, and find the
difference. 6-5=1, and then multiply that difference by the decimal you got, in this case the ".5" in the 3.5. This number is .5, and then you would just add this number to the third number, 5. Therefor, your lower quartile would now be 3.5.
The
median is simply the middle number in the set if you have an
odd number of
variables, or the
average of the two in the center if you have an
even number of variables, assuming of course that you have already put them in numerical order.
Finding the Upper quartile is the same as finding the lower quartile, replacing the .25 in the equation with .75
The maximum is simply the maximum value of
n