What is the primary purpose of a boxplot?

The primary purpose of a boxplot is to summarize data using quartiles. Boxplots provide a visual representation of the distribution of a dataset, highlighting key statistical measures such as the median, the lower quartile (Q1), the upper quartile (Q3), and potential outliers. This display allows for quick comparisons between different datasets, making it easier to identify the spread and center of the data.

Boxplots effectively showcase the variability within a dataset and allow for insights into its symmetry or skewness without needing to list individual data points. This is particularly helpful when dealing with large datasets where observing individual data entries becomes impractical. Quartiles are essential for understanding how data is spread and segmented, which is the fundamental aspect of boxplots.