Thread: Trying to calculate MEAN & STANDARD DEVIATION!!!

I've been trying to calculate the Second standard deviation but the average in the second loop isn't calculating correctly which is causing the standard deviation (method 2) to not calculate correctly. I can't find anything wrong. please help

Code:

#include <iostream>#include <iomanip>
#include <string>
#include <fstream>
#include <cmath>


usingnamespacestd;


int main ()
{


cout << "\nThis program will produce statistics (Mean, Standard Deviation, "
"Maximum and Minimum values of the list) for a list of integer values."
"The user will provide the names of input and output files.\n" ;

cout <<"\nEnter the name and location of the input file:   " ;
    string file_input ;
    getline(cin, file_input);
    ifstream fin( file_input.c_str() ) ;

    if(fin.fail())
    {
cout << "Bad file name or location.\n" ;
        exit(0);
    }

cout <<"Enter the name and location of the output file:   ";
    string file_output ;
    getline(cin, file_output);
    ofstream fout( file_output.c_str() );

cout << "\nReading values first time. . .\n" ;
    fout << "\nReading values first time. . .\n" ;

    int num;
    int count = 0 ;
    double total = 0 ;
    int Min = 100;
    int Max  = 0;
    double totalSq=0;
    double avg=0;
    double stdDev=0;

    fin >> num;
    while(!fin.eof())
    {
        cout << num << ' ' ;
        fout << num << ' ' ;
        if( ++count%10 == 0 )

        {
            cout << '\n' ;
            fout << '\n' ;
        }

        {
            total += num ;
            if( num > Max ) Max = num ;
            if( num < Min ) Min = num ;
            totalSq+= num*num;
            fin >> num;
        }
    }

     avg = total / count ;

    if (count>0)
    {

        stdDev = sqrt((totalSq/count) - pow(avg,2));

        cout << fixed << setprecision(3);
cout << "\n\nNumber of values read:  " << count << endl;
        cout << setw(40) << right << "Mean of the values:  " << avg << endl;
cout << setw(40) << right << "Standard deviation using method 1:  " << stdDev << endl;
        cout << setw(40) << right << "Greatest value:  " << Max << '\n' ;
        cout << setw(40) << right << "Least value:  " << Min << '\n' ;

        fout << fixed << setprecision(3);
        fout << "\n\nNumber of values read:  " << count << endl;
        fout << setw(40) << right << "Mean of the values:  " << avg << endl;
        fout << setw(40) << right << "Standard deviation using method 1:  " << stdDev << endl;
        fout << setw(40) << right << "Greatest value:  " << Max << '\n' ;
        fout << setw(40) << right << "Least value:  " << Min << '\n' ;
        fin.close();
    }


    fin.open(file_input.c_str());

cout << "\nReading values second time. . ." << endl;
    fout << "\nReading values second time. . ." << endl;
    stdDev=0, totalSq=0;
    total=0;
    avg = total/count;

    count = -1;
    fin >> num;
    while(!fin.eof())
    {

        if(++count%3 == 0)
        {
            cout << setw(3) << num;
            fout << setw(3) << num ;
            total += num;
            totalSq+= (num-avg) * (num-avg);
        }
        fin >> num;

    }

    count = (int)(count/3) + 1;
    if (count > 0)
    {
        stdDev = sqrt(totalSq/count);

cout << "\n\nNumber of values read:  " << count << endl;
        fout << "\n\nNumber of values read:  " << count << endl;
cout << setw(40) << right << "\n\tStandard Deviation using method 2:  "<< stdDev <<endl;
        fout << setw(40) << right << "\n\tStandard Deviation using method 2:  "<< stdDev <<endl;

    }
    return 0;

}

Why are you computing avg before you've even read the numbers in? It will always be zero.

In the second loop?

Originally Posted by rephlex

In the second loop?

That's the one I was looking at, yes.

Code:

    total=0;
    avg = total/count;

That is correct but if I put it at the end of the loop then it won't work either because avg is included in the calculation for totalSq and I tried that but calculations are still incorrect

Originally Posted by rephlex

That is correct but if I put it at the end of the loop then it won't work either because avg is included in the calculation for totalSq and I tried that but calculations are still incorrect

Calculating standard deviations using the (x-mu)^2/(n-1) formula is inherently a two-pass algorithm, one pass to find mu, and then another to calculate and add the (x-mu)^2 bits. (This is why no one uses it.)

Depending on the parameters of your assignment, you might be allowed to re-use avg from the first pass (although since you seem to be only looking at every third number you probably shouldn't). That means you must pass through the data twice in part two (ie three times total); the first time accumulating the average, and then the second time accumulating the (x-mu)^2 terms.

Originally Posted by tabstop

Calculating standard deviations using the (x-mu)^2/(n-1) formula is inherently a two-pass algorithm, one pass to find mu, and then another to calculate and add the (x-mu)^2 bits. (This is why no one uses it.)

Depending on the parameters of your assignment, you might be allowed to re-use avg from the first pass (although since you seem to be only looking at every third number you probably shouldn't). That means you must pass through the data twice in part two (ie three times total); the first time accumulating the average, and then the second time accumulating the (x-mu)^2 terms.

I am supposed to do that, this is sample output of the program assignment:

PHP Code:

This program will produce statistics (Mean, Standard Deviation, Maximum                                                and Minimum values of the list) for a list of integer values.  The user
will provide the names of input and output files.
                    Enter the name of the input file: STATNUMS.DATEnter the name of the output file: STATNUMS.out
                    Reading values first time. . .
10 11 8 9 6 21 54 89 2 15
34 5  8
                    Number of values read: 13
                    Mean of the values : xxx.xxx
                          Standard deviation using method 1: xxx.xxx
                        Greatest value : xxx.xxx
                           Least value : xxx.xxx
                    Reading values second time
10 9 54 15 8
                    Number of values read : 5
                          Standard deviation using method 2: xxx.xxx                             End of program. 


I have noticed the problem. The average for the second loop works fine but I've noticed there's an issue with the value of totalSq in the second loop which is causing the standard deviation to become incorrect too. I tried everything to get the correct value of it