What symbol represents the population mean?

The symbol that represents the population mean is μ (mu). In statistics, μ is used specifically to denote the average value of a set of data that encompasses the entire population, as opposed to a sample. This is important in various analyses because the population mean provides a complete understanding of the central tendency of a dataset.

Understanding the other symbols can help clarify why μ is the appropriate choice. The symbol x̄ (x-bar) represents the sample mean, which is the average calculated from a subset of the population. This is useful when it is not feasible to collect data from the entire population. The symbol σ (sigma) refers to the population standard deviation, which measures how much individual data points deviate from the population mean. Lastly, the symbol p generally indicates the population proportion rather than a measure of central tendency.

Thus, understanding these distinctions within statistical notation highlights how μ specifically identifies the population mean.