Variance Calculator

Calculate the sample and population variance of a dataset.

How to Use

  • Enter a sequence of numbers separated by commas, spaces, or newlines.
  • Click 'Calculate' to generate both sample and population variances.
  • The sample variance is used when your data is a sample of a larger population.
  • The population variance is used when your data represents the entire population.

About Variance

Variance is the expectation of the squared deviation of a random variable from its population mean or sample mean. Variance is a measure of dispersion.

Definition

It measures how far a set of numbers is spread out from their average value. It is the square of the standard deviation.

Sample vs Population

Sample Variance (s²): An estimate of the population variance. It divides the sum of squared differences by (n-1). Population Variance (σ²): The exact variance of an entire population. It divides the sum of squared differences by N.

Key Features

  • Calculates both sample and population variances.
  • Supports floating-point numbers.

Applications

  • Statistical modeling.
  • Portfolio theory in finance.
  • Machine learning feature scaling.