CS
1401 Introduction to Computer Science
Fall 2014, Lab 8
Motivation: to practice arrays.
Background. Often, we know several values x1,
..., xn of a certain quantity: e.g., we know the
outside temperature on different days in October. It is frequently
useful to find:
- the smallest of these values (e.g., the
coldest temperature),
- the largest of these values (e.g., the
warmest temperature);
- the average a of these values (e.g.,
the average temperature in October);
- the mean deviation,
i.e., the average value of the quantity |a − xi|;
- the standard deviation, i.e., the square root √s, where s is the average
value of the quantity (a − xi)2.
Assignment. Write a program for simple statistical analysis
of the data. Your program should contain the following methods:
- an input method; this method should ask the user
for a number of inputs, declare an array of the corresponding
size, then ask the user for the values x1, ...,
xn and place these values into an array;
- a method
for computing the smallest element of a given array;
- a method
for computing the largest element of a given array;
- a method
for computing the average of a given array;
- a method for
computing the mean deviation: this method should take the given
array, use the mean method to compute its mean, generate the new
array of quantities |a − xi|, and use the mean
method again to compute the mean difference;
- a method for
computing the standard deviation: this method should take the
given array, use the mean method to compute its mean, generate the
new array of quantities (a − xi)2, use
the mean method again to compute the mean value of this quantity,
and then take the square root.
When it is due. The program with the first four methods are
due at the beginning of the first lab section on the week of
November 3, i.e.: - on Monday November 3 for those who
attend Monday-Wednesday labs, and
- on Tuesday November 4 for
those who attend Tuesday-Thursday labs.
The full program is
due at the beginning of the second lab section on the week of
November 3, i.e.: - on Wednesday November 5 for those who
attend Monday-Wednesday labs, and
- on Thursday November 6 for
those who attend Tuesday-Thursday labs.