What symbol represents the mean of a population?

What symbol represents the mean of a population?

• A. x̄
• B. Σ
• C. μ
• D. N

Answer: (C)

The mean of a population is denoted by the Greek letter mu, μ. This symbol represents the true average you'd get if you could observe every member of the population. In contrast, the sample mean—the average of data from a subset of the population—is written as x-bar, x̄. The summation symbol Σ is just the operation of adding values, not the mean itself, and N is the total number of observations in the population, not the average. Recognize μ as the population parameter for the mean, while x̄ is used to estimate that mean from a sample.

The mean of a population is denoted by the Greek letter mu, μ. This symbol represents the true average you'd get if you could observe every member of the population. In contrast, the sample mean—the average of data from a subset of the population—is written as x-bar, x̄. The summation symbol Σ is just the operation of adding values, not the mean itself, and N is the total number of observations in the population, not the average. Recognize μ as the population parameter for the mean, while x̄ is used to estimate that mean from a sample.