Sum of squared deviations: what it means and how to read it
In the report: sumCenteredSquares — The sum of the squared deviations from the mean: Σ (x − x̄)²; empty for a column without a single number, 0 for one value.
How to read it
The spread before it is averaged: variance = sumCenteredSquares / (n − 1).
In plain words
A teacher wanted to follow, step by step, how the spread of three marks is worked out: 6, 8 and 10. The average is 8. She asked for sumCenteredSquares and got 8. That is the spread of the marks around their average before it is shared out among the students. From it comes the variance, 4, and from that the usual gap from the average, 2 points. Now she can check every step on the way with her own paper work. For a column with only one number, the answer is 0, and for a column with no numbers the cell stays empty.
Where you see it
STATS_DESCRIPTIVE— Column-wise descriptive statistics with flexible metric selection and optional column filtering.
Related values
- Inverse-variance weight — n / variance; empty for a column without spread or with fewer than 2 values.
- z-score of a value — The z-score of the value v: (v − mean) / std; 0 for a column without spread; empty without v.
- Weighted mean — The weighted mean with the weights in the column weightsCol, row by row; a zero, negative or missing weight leaves the row out, as SPSS WEIGHT. Empty when no row has a usable weight.
- Standard error — The standard error of the estimate: how much it would vary from sample to sample.
- Number of values — The number of values (rows) the result is computed on.
Get it in your sheet
One formula in a cell gives the whole report, Sum of squared deviations included. ALS Stats is a free add-on for Google Sheets™.
Install ALS Stats from Google Workspace Marketplace (opens in a new tab)