What value represents the median in a data set?

The median is defined as the middle value of a sorted data set. To find the median, you first organize the data points in ascending order. If the number of values is odd, the median is the value that lies directly in the center of this ordered list. If the number of values is even, the median is calculated by taking the average of the two middle values.

This concept is essential in statistics because the median provides a measure of central tendency that is robust against outliers, making it particularly useful in skewed distributions that can disproportionately affect other measures like the mean. Understanding the median helps in analyzing data distributions accurately and drawing conclusions based on central values.