[R] MAD

[Nair, Murlidharan T]

I am calculating the median absolute deviation using mad function, and
it tends to ignore the parameter constant=1, when I am calculating it
for x=seq(1:5). Am I missing something here?

x<-seq(1:5)
mad(x)# gives [1] 1.4826
mad(x, constant=1)# gives [1] 1
#Here is the long form
dev.from.median<-abs((x-median(x)))
dev.from.median # Gives [1] 2 1 0 1 2
sum(dev.from.median) # Gives [1] 6
sum(dev.from.median)/length(x) # Gives [1] 1.2
# The long form does not match the output from the function

# When x<-seq(1:10) they match
x<-seq(1:10)
dev.from.median<-abs((x-median(x)))
sum(dev.from.median)/length(x) # Gives 2.5
mad(x, constant=1) # Gives 2.5
#The long form matches the output from the function

Did I miss anything here?

Cheers../Murli