Cumulative frequency

Cumulative frequency is a statistical term that refers to the sum of the frequencies of all values up to a certain value in a frequency distribution. It is a way of summarizing a set of data points in a cumulative way. Cumulative frequency can be represented graphically in the form of a cumulative frequency graph.

Definition[edit | edit source]

In statistics, cumulative frequency is defined as the total of a frequency and all frequencies so far in a frequency distribution. It is the running total of the frequencies. On a graph, it can be represented as a cumulative frequency curve or 'ogive'.

Calculation[edit | edit source]

The calculation of cumulative frequency is straightforward. It involves adding up frequencies in a frequency distribution from top to bottom. For example, if the frequency distribution is: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, the cumulative frequency will be: 1, 3, 6, 10, 15.

Uses[edit | edit source]

Cumulative frequency is used in a variety of fields, including mathematics, statistics, economics, and medicine. It is particularly useful in determining the median and interquartile range of a set of data.

Cumulative Frequency Graph[edit | edit source]

A cumulative frequency graph, or ogive, is a plot of cumulative frequency against the upper class boundary with the points joined by a line segment. An ogive is a free-hand graph showing the curve of a cumulative distribution, which may be used to estimate medians, quartiles and percentiles.

References[edit | edit source]

Cumulative frequency Resources
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