How do you compute averges in your head?

[Leros]

I usually find the difference between the two numbers, divide by two, and add it to the smaller number.

 

[KevinCU]

Originally posted by: Leros
I usually find the difference between the two numbers, divide by two, and add it to the smaller number.

That is exactly what I do.

 

[Cheeseplug]

Very carefully.

 

[Leros]

Originally posted by: KevinCU

Originally posted by: Leros
I usually find the difference between the two numbers, divide by two, and add it to the smaller number.

That is exactly what I do.

Good, I thought I was weird.

 

[nonameo]

Originally posted by: Leros

Originally posted by: KevinCU

Originally posted by: Leros
I usually find the difference between the two numbers, divide by two, and add it to the smaller number.

That is exactly what I do.

Good, I thought I was weird.

I do that too, but I have been confirmed as being weird. So both of you are screwed

 

[her209]

I say "FUCK!" and grab a calculator.

 

[Alone]

Add them together and divide by two.

 

[Kirby]

Try to remember where my calculator is.

 

[gwlam12]

Originally posted by: Alone
Add them together and divide by two.

The average of 4, 5, and 6 is not 7.5.

 

[speg]

Add the numbers then divide by number of numbers. How would you average more than two numbers using the differences?

 

[Mo0o]

The right way

 

[Farang]

Originally posted by: KevinCU

Originally posted by: Leros
I usually find the difference between the two numbers, divide by two, and add it to the smaller number.

That is exactly what I do.

I do this but I think of it as the middle of the two numbers.. like the halfway point. When I heard it in your words I thought it was weird until I tried it and realized it was what I did.

 

[MovingTarget]

{/sum_{i=1}^{i=n}x_i}/n?

 

[Clair de Lune]

Sometimes I do weird shit like meet the numbers 'half way' to figure out an average. Of course it only works out for two numbers:

"49-55 Dmg"

I quickly count 49, 50, 51, 52.... that's roughly the same distance as 52-55. So I know the average is 52. It sounds freaking difficult than adding then dividing, but I do it surprisingly fast in my head.

 

[KLin]

What if you want the average for 3 or more numbers?

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: Leros
I usually find the difference between the two numbers, divide by two, and add it to the smaller number.

Hmmm, if the two don't add up to an end zero I quickly take a two step process trying first to get close to an evenly and easily dividable number than dealing with the rest as a tack on.

A few years ago, they had a guy pushing a "math tricks" book on and I was amazed that many of the tricks he described were ones I'd been doing all my life w/o consciously realizing them.

I'm weird, I know. When I was first on my own, buying food in a grocery store, to pass the time in line I used to add up the price of everything in the cart, compute the tax, and announce the total to the register girrrrl. Always nailed it, too. Somehow I doubt I could exactly do that anymore.

Hmmmm, gonna' hafta' try this next time. Like I said, I'm a bit weird.

 

[MotF Bane]

Originally posted by: Clair de Lune
Sometimes I do weird shit like meet the numbers 'half way' to figure out an average. Of course it only works out for two numbers:

"49-55 Dmg"

I quickly count 49, 50, 51, 52.... that's roughly the same distance as 52-55. So I know the average is 52. It sounds freaking difficult than adding then dividing, but I do it surprisingly fast in my head.

This.

 

[ConstipatedVigilante]

Add them together and divide by how many there are...

 

[randay]

depends, if shes acting really slutty math really doesnt matter.

 

[blinky8225]

Originally posted by: KLin
What if you want the average for 3 or more numbers?

You do it in groups. For instance, for 4 numbers, you take the average of the top two, the average of the bottom two, and the average of the averages. For odd numbers, I normally would just approximate close to middle and would weigh it up or down depending on differences unless I need a very exact number.

 

[Leros]

Originally posted by: KLin
What if you want the average for 3 or more numbers?

I pull out a bag of transistors and build a computer.

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: KLin
What if you want the average for 3 or more numbers?

Now I kind of remember how I reflexively do these things. The keys, I guess, are dividing up the task and innately looking for easy "way stations."

So, for example, adding up, say 267, 513 and 892 in my head, I take the hundreds out first, especially because they happen to be 1500 (500 dividied by 3) <--- "way station." Then, maybe throw the the 13 and 67 together because it's a nice "way station" round number (80) and adding it to the 92 (172), then taking 150 out of it (50 when dividied by 3) and dealing with the 22, which is 7 plus the 1/3, so, 557.33333.

I know this sounds clunky and slow as I "explain" it, but trust me, it goes really quickly in my head and I out think everyone to the answer.

Same with percentages. Say, 16% of 136. I take the 10% first (easy move of the decimal point (13.6), then half that for the 5% (6.8), add them together then add 1% (1.36) to that total.

Again, that sounds clunky and slow, but its not.

I may not be giving you great examples (I'm pulling these examples out of my ass) and/or explaining them clearly and cogently, but its more or less what I do and it works . . . very, very well.

Stuff along these lines is what that guy on the radio was touting when I realized (for the first damn time in my life just a few years ago) that it was exactly what I'd always been doing without being aware of the process.

Meh. I schweepy.

 

[Zugzwang152]

Originally posted by: Leros

Originally posted by: KLin
What if you want the average for 3 or more numbers?

I pull out a bag of transistors and build a computer.

:laugh:

 

[TuxDave]

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: KLin
What if you want the average for 3 or more numbers?

Now I kind of remember how I reflexively do these things. The keys, I guess, are dividing up the task and innately looking for easy "way stations."

So, for example, adding up, say 267, 513 and 892 in my head,

I go high to low so looking at:

The hundred digits it's 2,5,8 which is 5
The tens digit is 6,1,9 which is 5 and 1 left over
The ones digit is 7,3,2,10 (from before) which is 22/3 = 7 and a 3rd.

This probably doesn't work all the time but at least in this case that's my first reaction.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: Leros
I usually find the difference between the two numbers, divide by two, and add it to the smaller number.

Hmmm, if the two don't add up to an end zero I quickly take a two step process trying first to get close to an evenly and easily dividable number than dealing with the rest as a tack on.

A few years ago, they had a guy pushing a "math tricks" book on and I was amazed that many of the tricks he described were ones I'd been doing all my life w/o consciously realizing them.

I'm weird, I know. When I was first on my own, buying food in a grocery store, to pass the time in line I used to add up the price of everything in the cart, compute the tax, and announce the total to the register girrrrl. Always nailed it, too. Somehow I doubt I could exactly do that anymore.

Hmmmm, gonna' hafta' try this next time. Like I said, I'm a bit weird.

Did you nail her, too?