In statistics, what represents the difference between the maximum and minimum values in a dataset?

The difference between the maximum and minimum values in a dataset is referred to as the range. This measure provides a simple understanding of the spread or dispersion of the data. By subtracting the minimum value from the maximum value, the range gives insights into how spread out the data points are. A larger range indicates a wider spread of values, while a smaller range suggests that the data points are closer together.

In contrast, variance and standard deviation are both measures of how data points vary from the mean of the dataset, incorporating all values rather than just the extremes. Similarly, the interquartile range focuses specifically on the middle 50% of the data by considering the values at the first and third quartiles, making it a measure of spread that can often be more useful in understanding the central tendency without being influenced by outliers. Thus, the range is specifically defined by the maximum and minimum values, which distinctly identifies it as the correct answer in this context.