For a finite list of real numbers and nonnegative weights of positive total , the weighted mean uniquely minimizes the weighted sum of squared deviations
Expanding around and using gives
Every displacement from the weighted mean increases the objective. This is the simplest one-parameter weighted least squares problem: represent all entries by one common value.
For the weighted values and with weights and ,
Thus , while . The minimum is defined by this squared-error criterion; a different loss can select a different summary, such as a median under unweighted absolute deviations.
Figure 1.
The weighted mean is the unique minimum of a squared-error objective
. For , the minimum is at . Moving to increases the objective by . Details.
Well-order code Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-09-24
A well-order code is a binary relation for which is a well-order. Its representation is the unique countable ordinal isomorphic to .
Witt group of a field 2026-10-14
For a field of characteristic different from two, is the group of nonsingular symmetric bilinear forms modulo metabolic forms, with orthogonal sum as addition. A metabolic form has a half-dimensional totally isotropic subspace. Such a form is equivalent to a sum of hyperbolic planes, hence represents zero.