What is the middle number in a sorted set of data called?

The middle number in a sorted set of data is referred to as the median. The median represents the value that separates the higher half from the lower half of the data set. When the data points are arranged in ascending or descending order, the median is found at the center. If there is an odd number of observations, it is simply the middle number. In the case of an even number of observations, the median is calculated by taking the average of the two central numbers. This measure is particularly useful as it is not affected by extreme values or outliers in the dataset, making it a robust indicator of central tendency.

On the other hand, the mean represents the average of all values in the dataset, while the mode indicates the most frequently occurring number. Variance is a measure of how spread out the numbers in the dataset are, reflecting the degree of variability. Hence, the definition and role of median in data analysis distinguish it clearly from the other terms.