=AVERAGE(number 1, [number 2], …)

=MEDIAN(number 1, [number 2], …)

=MODE.SNGL(number 1, [number 2], …)

number 1 is the first number, cell reference, or range of cells for which to calculate the specified value.
[number 2],… represents additional numbers, cell references, or ranges of cells. The square brackets indicate that the argument is optional.

For example, if we had the data set {0.5, 0.5, 1.5, 3.0, 4.0}, we could find the mean by entering =AVERAGE(0.5, 0.5, 1.5, 3.0, 4.0) into a cell. This would calculate the average, 1.9. More often when using Excel, we won’t input data directly into the formula, but will instead input a range of cells. For example if cell A1=0.5, A2=0.5, A3=1.5, A4=3.0, and A5=4.0, we could calculate the mean of the data set by entering =AVERAGE(A1:A5), which would return 1.9. Because the mean is the sum of all data points, divided by the number of data points, we could also enter =SUM(A1:A5)/COUNT(A1:A5). The COUNT function counts the number of cells that contain numerical values so in this case =SUM(A1:A5)/COUNT(A1:A5) is equivalent to =SUM(A1:A5)/5.

MODE.SNGL replaces the function:

=MODE(number 1, [number 2], …)

Throughout the course we will provide alternative functions that existed prior to Excel 2010 that can still be used in Excel 2010.