What is the formula for standard deviation?

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Homework Help Overview

The original poster seeks clarification on the formula for standard deviation, a concept within statistics that measures the amount of variation or dispersion in a set of values.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Some participants suggest consulting textbooks or online resources for definitions and formulas. Others raise the distinction between standard deviation for a probability distribution versus that for a sample, indicating that the formulas differ.

Discussion Status

The discussion includes various suggestions for resources and highlights the need for clarity regarding the context of standard deviation, though no consensus has been reached on a specific formula.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the importance of understanding whether the inquiry pertains to a probability distribution or a sample, which may affect the formula used.

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What is the formula for standard deviation?
 
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Have you tried either (1) an elementary textbook on Statistics, or (2) WikiPedia? In fact, check into this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_deviation

What seems unusual, is "standard" deviation exists and is distinct from "average absolute value of the deviations".
 
You might also want to decide whether you are interested in the standard deviation of a probality distribution or of a sample from a probability distribution. The formulas are slightly different.
 
This is a pretty good webpage:

http://standard-deviation.appspot.com/"
 
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