Pie chart
A pie chart (or a circle chart) is a circular statistical graphic, which is divided into slices to illustrate numerical proportion.
Description
In a pie chart, the arc length of each slice (and consequently its central angle and area), is proportional to the quantity it represents. While it is named for its resemblance to a pie which has been sliced, there are variations on the way it can be presented. The earliest known pie chart is generally credited to William Playfair's Statistical Breviary of 1801.
Pie charts are very widely used in the business world and the mass media.
However, they have been criticized, and many experts recommend avoiding them, pointing out that research has shown it is difficult to compare different sections of a given pie chart, or to compare data across different pie charts.
Pie charts can be replaced in most cases by other plots such as the bar chart, box plot or dot plots.
In some very rare instances, pie charts can be found in square form. These kinds of pie charts are sometimes referred to as "pizza charts", as the square resembles the shape of a pizza box. These square pie charts serve the same purpose as circular pie charts and all percentages are taken from a 100% total.
See also
- Chart
- Data visualization
- Diagram
- Graphic design
- Illustration
- Information visualization
- Mathematical visualization
- Scientific visualization
- Statistics
External links
- Pie chart @ Wikipedia
