You can use the np.mean() or np.average() functions to calculate the average value of an array in Python.
Here is the subtle difference between the two functions:
- np.mean always calculates the arithmetic mean.
- np.average has an optional weights parameter that can be used to calculate a weighted average.
The following examples show how to use each function in practice.
Example 1: Use np.mean() and np.average() without Weights
Suppose we have the following array in Python that contains seven values:
#create array of values
data = [1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 8, 10]
We can use np.mean() and np.average() to calculate the average value of this array:
import numpy as np
#calculate average value of array
np.mean(data)
6.142857142857143
#calcualte average value of array
np.average(data)
6.142857142857143
Both functions return the exact same value.
Both functions used the following formula to calculate the average:
Average = (1 + 4 + 5 + 7 + 8 + 8 + 10) / 7 = 6.142857…
Example 2: Use np.average() with Weights
Once again suppose we have the following array in Python that contains seven values:
#create array of values
data = [1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 8, 10]
We can use np.average() to calculate a weighted average for this array by supplying a list of values to the weights parameters:
import numpy as np
#calculate weighted average of array
np.average(data, weights=(.1, .2, .4, .05, .05, .1, .1))
5.45
The weighted average turns out to be 5.45.
Here is the formula that np.average() used to calculate this value:
Weighted Average = 1*.1 + 4*.2 + 5*.4 + 7*.05 + 8*.05 + 8*.1 + 10*.1 = 5.45.
Note that we could not use np.mean() to perform this calculation since that function doesn’t have a weights parameter.
Refer to the NumPy documentation for a complete explanation of the np.mean() and np.average() functions.
Additional Resources
The following tutorials explain how to calculate other average values in Python:
How to Calculate Moving Averages in Python
How to Calculate a Cumulative Average in Python
