What is the mean of a set of data points?

The mean of a set of data points is defined as the average of those points. To find the mean, you add up all the values in the data set and then divide that total by the number of data points. This process gives you a single value that represents the central tendency of the data, allowing you to understand the overall trend or average of the dataset.

For instance, if you have the data points 2, 4, and 6, you would first calculate the sum, which is 12. Next, you divide this sum by the number of points (3), resulting in a mean of 4. This calculated mean is crucial because it summarizes the data into a singular value, making it easier to analyze and compare.

The other choices offered do not define the mean: the smallest data point refers to the minimum value, the sum gives you a total of the values without averaging, and the highest data point refers to the maximum value. Each of these terms represents different statistical measures rather than the mean, which is specifically associated with the average calculation.