Histogram
a graphical representation of the distribution of numerical data
A histogram is a type of graphical representation of data that shows the frequency distribution of a specific variable or dataset. It consists of vertical bars that are plotted on a horizontal axis. The bars represent the frequency or count of data points that fall within a particular range or bin, with the height of the bar being directly proportional to the frequency of the data points.
Histograms are commonly used in statistics and data analysis to visually assess the distribution of a dataset. They are particularly useful for showing the shape of the distribution, as well as any outliers, gaps, or skewness in the data. Histograms can also be used to compare the distributions of two or more datasets.
To create a histogram, the first step is to determine the range or bin size. This involves dividing the range of the data into equal intervals or bins. Once the bin size has been determined, data points are grouped and counted for each bin. The counts for each bin are then plotted on the vertical axis against the bin intervals on the horizontal axis. The bars in the histogram are typically separated by a small gap to indicate that each bar represents a separate range or bin.
In summary, histograms are a useful tool for visualizing the distribution of a dataset and can provide valuable insights into the underlying patterns in the data. They are easy to create and interpret and can help analysts make informed decisions about how to further analyze and interpret their data.