kurtosis

[ kur-toh-sis ]

noun

, Statistics.

1. the state or quality of flatness or peakedness of the curve describing a frequency distribution in the region about its mode.

kurtosis

/ kəˈtəʊsɪs /

noun

1. statistics a measure of the concentration of a distribution around its mean, esp the statistic B 2 = m 4 / m 2 ² where m 2 and m 4 are respectively the second and fourth moment of the distribution around the mean. In a normal distribution B 2 = 3 See also platykurtic mesokurtic leptokurtic Compare skewness

kurtosis

/ kər-tō′sĭs /

1. The general form or a quantity indicative of the general form of a statistical frequency curve near the mean of the distribution.

Word History and Origins

Origin of kurtosis¹

1900–05; irregular transliteration of Greek kýrtōsis curvature. See cyrtosis

Word History and Origins

Origin of kurtosis¹

from Greek: curvature, from kurtos arched