The Heartbeat of Data
Understanding Mean and Variance
Imagine you are standing in a field of numbers. You have a set of data: 4,5,6,6,7,8,x,y.
In the world of JEE Advanced, this is a puzzle waiting to be solved. We are given the mean and the variance, and our mission is to uncover the hidden values of x and y.
Phase 1
Decoding the Mean
The mean is the balance point of your data, representing the center of gravity. We know the mean xˉ=6 and the number of observations n=8.
The formula for the mean is xˉ=n∑xi. Summing our data, we get:
Setting the mean equal to 6, we have:
Multiplying by 8 gives 36+x+y=48, which simplifies to our first anchor point:
Phase 2
The Variance Challenge
Now, let us tackle the variance. Given σ2=49, we use the computational formula:
First, we calculate the sum of the squares of our observations:
∑xi2=42+52+62+62+72+82+x2+y2=226+x2+y2
Substituting this into our variance formula:
Adding 36 to both sides:
8226+x2+y2=36+49=4144+9=4153
Multiplying by 8 yields 226+x2+y2=306. Subtracting 226 leaves us with:
Phase 3
The Algebraic Bridge
We now have the system x+y=12 and x2+y2=80. We utilize the identity (x+y)2=x2+y2+2xy as our bridge.
Substituting our known values:
This simplifies to 2xy=64, or:
Phase 4
The Final Reveal
We treat x and y as roots of the quadratic equation t2−(x+y)t+xy=0. Substituting our values, we get:
Factoring this quadratic, we find:
The roots are 4 and 8. Assuming x<y, we identify x=4 and y=8.
Finally, we calculate the requested value: