percentile_disc vs percentile_cont
oracle, plsql, sql
Solution
`PERCENTILE_DISC` returns a value in your set/window, whereas `PERCENTILE_CONT` will interpolate;
In your query, when you use `.72`, `PERCENTILE_CONT` interpolates between 76 and 78, since 72% is neither one of them; `PERCENTILE_DISC` chooses 76 (the lowest of the ones)
Problem
What is difference between `PERCENTILE_DISC` and `PERCENTILE_CONT`, I have a table ### select * from childstat ``` FIRSTNAME GENDER BIRTHDATE HEIGHT WEIGHT -------------------------------------------------- ------ --------- ---------- ---------- lauren f 10-JUN-00 54 876 rosemary f 08-MAY-00 35 123 Albert m 02-AUG-00 15 923 buddy m 02-OCT-00 15 150 furkar m 05-JAN-00 76 198 simon m 03-JAN-00 87 256 tommy m 11-DEC-00 78 167 ``` And I am trying differentiate between those percentile ``` select firstname,height, percentile_cont(.50) within group (order by height) over() as pctcont_50_ht, percentile_cont(.72) within group (order by height) over() as pctcont_72_ht, percentile_disc(.50) within group (order by height) over () as pctdisc_50_ht, percentile_disc(.72) within group (order by height) over () as pctdisc_72_ht from childstat order by height FIRSTNAME HEIGHT PCTCONT_50_HT PCTCONT_72_HT PCTDISC_50_HT PCTDISC_72_HT -------------------------------------------------- ---------- ------------- ------------- ------------- ------------- buddy 15 54 76.64 54 78 Albert 15 54 76.64 54 78 rosemary 35 54 76.64 54 78 lauren 54 54 76.64 54 78 furkar 76 54 76.64 54 78 tommy 78 54 76.64 54 78 simon 87 54 76.64 54 78 ``` But still can't understand how this two and what is use of those two functions..