DSTDEV()

Syntax. DSTDEV(database,field,criteria)

Definition. This function estimates the standard deviation of a population based on a sample of data in a column in a list or database that match the specified conditions.

Arguments

  • database (required) The cell range that makes up the list or database

  • field (optional) Indicates which column is used in the function

  • criteria (required) The cell range containing the field names and the filter criteria

Background. The standard deviation is an important measure of spread and describes the deviation from the arithmetic mean. It is a measure of dispersion where the more spread out the data is around the mean, the higher the standard deviation. The standard deviation is the square root of the variance.

See Also

You will find more information about the standard deviation and variance in the descriptions of STDEV.P() and VARA() in Chapter 12.

Example. You are a wholesaler and have analyzed your sales data by using several functions. Now you want to use the DSTDEV() function to look at the dispersion of the sales. Specifically, you want to know how widely the sales orders for a particular product in a country vary around the mean order value.

Note

The data to be evaluated is a sample. More sales took place, but only a sample is used for the evaluation.

In Figure 13-21 and Figure 13-22, the standard deviation is calculated for orders of Longlife Tofu in the United States. The result shows a standard deviation of $301.13 around the mean of $1,617.38. Figure 13-22 shows the calculation of the average.

Calculating the standard deviation based on a sample.

Figure 13-21. Calculating the standard deviation based on a sample.

The mean of the sales of the product, Longlife Tofu, in the United States.

Figure 13-22. The mean of the sales of the product, Longlife Tofu, in the United States.

See Also

DSTDEVP(), STDEV.P(), STDEVA(), STDEVPA()

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