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Clarify the difference between mu and xbar in the statistics documentation #80280

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stevendaprano opened this issue Feb 24, 2019 · 5 comments
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Clarify the difference between mu and xbar in the statistics documentation #80280

stevendaprano opened this issue Feb 24, 2019 · 5 comments
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@csabella
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3.8 only security fixes docs Documentation in the Doc dir type-bug An unexpected behavior, bug, or error

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@stevendaprano
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BPO 36099
Nosy @rhettinger, @stevendaprano, @applio, @csabella
Superseder
  • bpo-20389: clarify meaning of xbar and mu in pvariance/variance of statistics module
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    Note: these values reflect the state of the issue at the time it was migrated and might not reflect the current state.

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    GitHub fields:

    assignee = 'https://github.com/csabella'
closed_at = <Date 2021-08-20.10:12:22.222>
created_at = <Date 2019-02-24.03:39:59.904>
labels = ['type-bug', '3.8', 'docs']
title = 'Clarify the difference between mu and xbar in the statistics documentation'
updated_at = <Date 2021-08-20.10:12:22.222>
user = 'https://github.com/stevendaprano'

    bugs.python.org fields:

    activity = <Date 2021-08-20.10:12:22.222>
actor = 'iritkatriel'
assignee = 'cheryl.sabella'
closed = True
closed_date = <Date 2021-08-20.10:12:22.222>
closer = 'iritkatriel'
components = ['Documentation']
creation = <Date 2019-02-24.03:39:59.904>
creator = 'steven.daprano'
dependencies = []
files = []
hgrepos = []
issue_num = 36099
keywords = []
message_count = 5.0
messages = ['336424', '336434', '336438', '336447', '336463']
nosy_count = 5.0
nosy_names = ['rhettinger', 'steven.daprano', 'docs@python', 'davin', 'cheryl.sabella']
pr_nums = []
priority = 'normal'
resolution = 'duplicate'
stage = 'resolved'
status = 'closed'
superseder = '20389'
type = 'behavior'
url = 'https://bugs.python.org/issue36099'
versions = ['Python 3.8']
    @stevendaprano
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    The documentation isn't clear as to the difference between mu and xbar, and why one is used in variance and the other in pvariance.

    See bpo-36018 for discussion.

    For the record: mu or μ is the population parameter, i.e. the mean of the entire population, if you could average every individual. xbar or x̅ is the mean of a sample.

    @stevendaprano stevendaprano added 3.8 only security fixes docs Documentation in the Doc dir type-bug An unexpected behavior, bug, or error labels Feb 24, 2019
    @applio
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    applio commented Feb 24, 2019

    Without necessarily defining what each means, perhaps it is sufficient to change this clause in the docs:
    it should be the mean of data

    For pvariance() it could read as:
    it should be the *population* mean of data

    And for variance() it could read as:
    it should be the *sample* mean of data

    @rhettinger
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    Without necessarily defining what each means,
    perhaps it is sufficient to change this clause in the docs

    +1 That is a simple way to address the concern.

    @stevendaprano
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    I'm happy with that doc change.

    If nobody objects, this might make an easy "Good first issue" for the upcoming sprint. Assigning to Cheryl to stop anyone else grabbing it.

    @stevendaprano stevendaprano assigned csabella and unassigned docspython Feb 24, 2019
    @csabella
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    Great! Thank you, Steven.

    @ezio-melotti ezio-melotti transferred this issue from another repository Apr 10, 2022
    @felixxm felixxm mentioned this issue Mar 28, 2024
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    @csabella csabella

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    3.8 only security fixes docs Documentation in the Doc dir type-bug An unexpected behavior, bug, or error
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    @applio @iritkatriel @rhettinger @stevendaprano @csabella