The median is the middle value in a sorted dataset. SQL doesn't have a direct median function. We need to use other functions like `PERCENTILE_CONT` or a combination of `ORDER BY` and `ROW_NUMBER` to calculate it.
Calculating the median in SQL requires a bit more work than using a built-in function. Unlike some other aggregate functions like `AVG` or `SUM`, SQL doesn't directly provide a `MEDIAN` function. This means we need to find a way to determine the middle value in a sorted dataset. One common approach is to use the `PERCENTILE_CONT` function, which returns the value at a specific percentile. To find the median, we use the 50th percentile. Alternatively, we can use a combination of `ORDER BY` and `ROW_NUMBER` to rank the data and then identify the middle value. This method is more flexible, but requires more code.
Understanding how to calculate the median is crucial for data analysis. The median provides a robust measure of central tendency, less susceptible to outliers than the mean. This is vital for understanding the typical value in a dataset, especially when dealing with skewed distributions.