What does multimodal data imply?

Multimodal data indicates that there are two or more modes present in a given dataset. A mode is defined as a value that appears most frequently. When a dataset is described as multimodal, it typically means that there are multiple peaks or high points in the frequency distribution of the values.

For example, in a dataset with values representing the heights of individuals in a population, if there are two distinct groups (e.g., one group of children and another group of adults), the height distribution might show two separate peaks—one for each group. This scenario demonstrates the concept of multimodality because both groups have a mode, thus reinforcing the idea that the dataset holds two or more modes.

Recognizing multimodal data is valuable in statistical analysis as it can reveal underlying patterns that are not apparent when considering the data as a whole.