ntot

ntot is a commonly used variable name in mathematics, statistics, ecology, epidemiology, data science, and related fields to denote the total count of items, individuals, or observations in a given context. The exact meaning of ntot depends on the problem, but it generally represents a sum or total across categories, samples, or time.

In statistics and data analysis, ntot often equals the sum of counts across categories or groups: ntot = sum over all categories of n_i. It may also denote the total number of observations or respondents in a study. Variants such as N_tot, Ntot, or N_totals are frequently used in documentation, code, or formulas, with capitalization or punctuation varying by author or language.

In ecology and demography, ntot or N_tot is used to refer to the total population size within a defined area or cohort. In such contexts, N_tot may be observed directly or estimated when counts are incomplete, using methods like capture–recapture, extrapolation, or model-based inference.

In programming and data workflows, ntot is a common variable name that stores the result of summing counts, such as the total number of items in a dataset, total sales, or total events after filtering. The precise interpretation of ntot should be clarified in the surrounding text or notation, since N, n, and N_tot are often used in related ways to distinguish population size, sample size, and grand totals.

See also: total, grand total, N, n.