median

adj 1: (statistics) relating to or constituting the middle value of

an ordered set of values (or the average of the middle

two in an even-numbered set); "the median value of 17,

20, and 36 is 20"; "the median income for the year was

$15,000" [syn: {median(a)}, {average}]

2: dividing an animal into right and left halves [syn: {medial}]

3: relating to or situated in or extending toward the middle

[syn: {medial}]

n : the value below which 50% of the cases fall

The ordering of {bytes} in a multi-byte

number.

The term comes from Swift's "Gulliver's Travels" via the

famous paper "On Holy Wars and a Plea for Peace" by Danny

Cohen, USC/ISI IEN 137, 1980-04-01.

The Lilliputians, being very small, had correspondingly small

political problems. The Big-Endian and Little-Endian parties

debated over whether soft-boiled eggs should be opened at the

big end or the little end.

See {big-endian}, {little-endian}, {middle-endian}, {holy

wars}, {NUXI problem}, {swab}.

(1998-08-09)