Geometric mean function

To use this function, choose Calc > Calculator.

Calculates the geometric mean, which is a measure of central tendency that calculates an average of the data using multiplication instead of addition. For a set of n numbers, the geometric mean is the nth root of the product of those numbers. For example, the geometric mean of the numbers 2, 3, and 14 equals (2 * 3 * 14)^1/3 = (84)^1/3 = 4.37952.

Syntax

GMEAN(number)

For number, specify the column number. All values must be greater than 0.

Example

Column	Calculator expression	Result
C1 contains 6, 3, 15	GMEAN (C1)	6.4633040701

Uses

Use the geometric mean, not the arithmetic mean, when you need to determine the average of the factors in a product. For example, to determine the average rate of a return for an investment that earns 8% the first year and 52% the second year, calculate the geometric mean (1.08 * 1.52)^1/2 ≈ 1.28 (an average return of 28%).

In statistics, the geometric mean (weighted) is used to determine the composite desirability in response optimization and the sample variance for Bartlett's test statistic for normal distributions.