[Maths-Education] Request: references about the history of averages

[David A Reid]

I don't know if this helps, but mean has been around a lot longer that
the other two (golden means, arithmetical means, etc.)
The average that "mean" means is the arithmetical mean of a set of
numbers, so that's why we use "mean" for that.  "Median" has
meant "middle" for a long time, but I think it was only in the late 19th
century that one of the inventors of Statistics
(Galton?) defined it as the number half the data is less than (or is it
greater than?).  A few years later someone else
(Pearson?) defined mode.  So the order you list is the same as the
historical introduction of the terms.  And also the order of
the frequency of their use in practice in my experience.

Does any of this help?

David

"Mark S. BOYLAN(EDS)" wrote:

> ***********************************************************************************************************
> This message has been generated through the Mathematics Education email discussion list.
> Hitting the REPLY key sends a message to all list members.
> ***********************************************************************************************************
> Hi folks,
>
> I wonder if anyone has any good references about the origins of 'averages'
> (mean, median and mode)in mathematics, , and also their inclusion in the
> school curriculum,
>
> I am interested both in 'raw' history, and also any social/cultural
> analysis - for example why do 'we' in maths ed tend to list them as mean,
> median and mode,
>
> I have some ideas already about that
>
> thanks
>
> Mark
>
> Mark Boylan
> School of Education
> Sheffield Hallam University
> 35 Broomgrove Rd
> Sheffield
> UK
>
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> An international directory of mathematics educators is available on the web at www.nottingham.ac.uk/csme/directory/main.html
> ______________________________________________
> Maths-Education mailing list
> Maths-Education@nottingham.ac.uk
> http://lists.nottingham.ac.uk/mailman/listinfo/maths-education

--
==========================================================
Mailing Address:
David A Reid, School of Education, Acadia University,
Wolfville NS B0P 1X0 Canada
Phone: +1-902-585-1393     Fax: +1-902-585-1071
==========================================================

A number making a noise in an examination (7)

                 -- 9 Across, Globe and Mail, Aug. 19 2002

Answer to previous:

It often involves unknown quantities (7)

ALGEBRA