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In mathematics, the harmonic mean is a type of mean calculated as the reciprocal of the arithmetic mean of the reciprocals of a set of numbers. It is one of several types of means, each calculated differently depending on the relationship between the numbers in a set.12

The harmonic mean is specifically the case where p = -1 in the formula for the pth-power mean, which is a generalization of various means, including the arithmetic and geometric means. It is used when dealing with rates or ratios, such as average speeds over equal distances.2

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  1. harmonic mean
  2. mean

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