![](/template/termwiki/images/likesmall.jpg)
Home > Terms > English, UK (UE) > Kurtosis
Kurtosis
(Symbol β2 or α4. ) A descriptive measure of a random variable in terms of the flatness of its probability distribution. It is defined as follows:
where μ4 is the fourth (statistical) moment about the mean and σ2 the variance. For the normal distribution, β2 = 3; and it is commonly (though not invariably) found that curves for which β2 > 3 are more sharply peaked than the normal, while those for which β2 < 3 are flatter than the normal. In particular, the rectangular distribution f(x) = 1 (0 < x < 1) has β2 = 1. 8. The terms leptokurtic, mesokurtic, and platykurtic refer to curves for which the values of β2 are, respectively, greater than 3, equal to 3, and less than 3. Excess is a relative expression for kurtosis, and the coefficient of excess γ2 is defined as β2 − 3.
- Part of Speech: noun
- Synonym(s):
- Blossary:
- Industry/Domain: Weather
- Category: Meteorology
- Company: AMS
- Product:
- Acronym-Abbreviation:
Other Languages:
Member comments
Terms in the News
Featured Terms
Eid al-Adha
Eid al-Adha is a three day Muslim holiday held after the Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, and is also referred to as 'The Feast of Sacrifice'.It ...
Contributor
Featured blossaries
Sony Mobile Terminology
0
Terms
1
Blossaries
4
Followers
My Favourite Terms
![](/template/termwiki/images/likesmall.jpg)
dnatalia
0
Terms
60
Blossaries
2
Followers
Best Goalkeepers in Worldcup 2014
![](/template/termwiki/images/likesmall.jpg)
![](https://accounts.termwiki.com/thumb1.php?f=334deb7b-1405395879.jpg&width=304&height=180)
Browers Terms By Category
- General furniture(461)
- Oriental rugs(322)
- Bedding(69)
- Curtains(52)
- Carpets(40)
- Chinese antique furniture(36)
Home furnishings(1084) Terms
- Bridge(5007)
- Plumbing(1082)
- Carpentry(559)
- Architecture(556)
- Flooring(503)
- Home remodeling(421)
Construction(10757) Terms
- Chocolate(453)
- Hard candy(22)
- Gum(14)
- Gummies(9)
- Lollies(8)
- Caramels(6)
Candy & confectionary(525) Terms
- SAT vocabulary(5103)
- Colleges & universities(425)
- Teaching(386)
- General education(351)
- Higher education(285)
- Knowledge(126)
Education(6837) Terms
- Ceramics(605)
- Fine art(254)
- Sculpture(239)
- Modern art(176)
- Oil painting(114)
- Beadwork(40)