Moving Average

The Moving Average method is applied to series values. It is included in the Smoothing group.

The moving average method is based on representing a series as a sum of a relatively smooth trend and a random component. The method is based on the local trend approximation using a polynomial of not an extremely high degree.

To apply the method

After the method is applied, in the workbook, based on each selected series a calculated series with a name of the Moving Average (<Series_Name>) type is created, containing the calculation results. For example:

Setting Up Calculation Parameters

To set up calculation parameters, use the Parameters side panel tab.

To display the tab

Method parameters:

Window Size. The time interval, in which the average element value is calculated. The greater is the window width, the smoother is the series. By default, the window size is 5.
If the window size is greater than the number of series observations, the calculation is stopped. The calculated series is filled with empty values, and the header cell shows a red corner and the following tooltip: Window size cannot exceed the number of observations.
Center Moving Average. If the checkbox is selected, the centering method is applied to calculate smoothed values. The method is relevant if the window size is even.