Skip to content

var, svar

Variance, sample variance

var

Variance

var x    var[x]

Where x is a numeric list, returns its variance as a float atom. Nulls are ignored.

q)var 2 3 5 7
3.6875
q)var 2 3 5 0n 7
3.6875
q)select var price by sym from trade where date=2010.10.10,sym in`IBM`MSFT

var is an aggregate function, equivalent, where sqr:{x*x} to

{avg[sqr x]-sqr[avg x]}

Since 4.1t 2022.04.15, can also traverse columns of tables and general/anymap/nested lists.

q)M:get`:m77 set m:(2 3;4 0N;1 7)
q)var m
1.555556 4
q)var M
1.555556 4
q)T:get`:tab/ set t:flip`a`b!flip m
q)var t
a| 1.555556
b| 4
q)var T
a| 1.555556
b| 4

svar

Sample variance

svar x    svar[x]

Where x is a numeric list, returns its sample variance as a float atom.

\[svar(x)=\frac{n}{n-1}var(x)\]
q)var 2 3 5 7
3.6875
q)svar 2 3 5 7
4.916667
q)select svar price by sym from trade where date=2010.10.10,sym in`IBM`MSFT

svar is an aggregate function, equivalent to {var[x]*count[x]%-1+count x}.

Since 4.1t 2022.04.15, can also traverse columns of tables and general/anymap/nested lists.

q)M:get`:m77 set m:(2 3;4 0N;1 7)
q)svar m
2.333333 8
q)svar M
2.333333 8
q)T:get`:tab/ set t:flip`a`b!flip m
q)svar t
a| 2.333333
b| 8
q)svar T
a| 2.333333
b| 8

Domain and range

domain: b g x h i j e f c s p m d z n u v t
range:  f . f f f f f f f . f f f f f f f f

cov, scov
Mathematics
Covariance, Variance
Variance