gamma
Represents the third letter of the Greek alphabet, commonly used in mathematics and physics to denote various quantities and functions.
Overview
A versatile Greek letter that appears frequently across multiple scientific disciplines and mathematical contexts.
- Often used to represent physical constants, such as the specific heat ratio in thermodynamics
- Common in probability theory and statistics to denote the gamma function and gamma distribution
- Appears in physics to represent photons or electromagnetic phenomena
- Used in engineering to describe angular accelerations or propagation constants
- Serves as a standard variable name in mathematical proofs and equations where alpha and beta are already in use
Examples
Representing the damping coefficient in a harmonic oscillator equation.
m\ddot{x} + \gamma\dot{x} + kx = 0Denoting the Euler-Mascheroni constant in mathematical expressions.
\gamma \approx 0.5772156649...Using gamma in statistical distributions, such as the gamma distribution's probability density function.
f(x) = \frac{1}{\Gamma(k)}\theta^k x^{k-1}e^{-\theta x}