The geometric mean of 144 & 4 is 24.
As explained by Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program, means are mathematical formulations used to characterize the central tendency of a set of numbers. Most people are familiar with the "arithmetic mean", which is also commonly called an average.
Mathematical definition: The nth root of the product of n numbers.
Practical definition: The average of the logarithmic values of a data set, converted back to a base 10 number.
How do you calculate a geometric mean? The easiest way to think of the geometric mean is that it is the average of the logarithmic values, converted back to a base 10 number.
However, the actual formula and definition of the geometric mean is that it is the nth root of the product of n numbers, or: Geometric Mean = n-th root of (X1)(X2)...(Xn)
Where X1, X2, etc. represent the individual data points, and n is the total number of data points used in the calculation.
Learn more about Geometric Mean Calculations at Buzzards Bay National Estuary Program.