Variable

A variable is something that varies in value, as opposed to a constant (such as the number 2), which always has the same value. These are observable features of something that can take on several different values or can be put into several discrete categories. For example, respondents' scores on an index are variables because they have different values, and religion can be considered a variable because there are multiple categories. Scientists are sometimes interested in determining the values of constants, such as π, the ratio of the area of a circle to its squared radius. However, survey research involves the study of variables rather than constants.

A quantity X is a random variable if, for every number a, there is a probability p that X ...