Fano Factor

The Fano factor is a measure used in statistics and neuroscience to quantify variability in a set of data or events, relative to what would be expected if these events occurred randomly and independently. Specifically, it compares the variance (how spread out the data are) to the average number of events. A Fano factor of 1 indicates that the variability matches random chance (like rolling a die), values greater than 1 suggest greater variability (more unpredictability), and less than 1 indicates less variability (more consistency). It helps researchers understand how predictable or inconsistent event patterns are.