What is meant by Aggregation functions?
Aggregation functions are functions in software that summarize and consolidate data to create meaningful information and reports. These functions are particularly useful for data analysis and reporting, as they transform large datasets into concise and understandable formats.
Typical functions of software in the area of "aggregation functions" include:
- Sum: Calculating the total sum of a specific data series, such as the total revenue of a company.
- Average: Determining the average value of a data series to identify typical values.
- Minimum and Maximum: Finding the smallest and largest values in a data series to understand the range of the data.
- Count: Counting the number of records or entries in a particular category.
- Median: Determining the median value, which represents the middle value in an ordered data series.
- Variance and Standard Deviation: Calculating variance and standard deviation to analyze the distribution and dispersion of the data.
- Grouping: Aggregating data by specific categories or attributes, such as by product categories or geographic regions.
- Pivot Tables: Creating pivot tables for interactive data analysis and aggregation.
- Time Series Analysis: Aggregating data over specific time periods to identify trends and patterns.
- Cumulative Sum: Calculating the cumulative sum over a data series to represent the ongoing addition of values.