sigma

/'sigmə/
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sigma

A student writes the Greek letter sigma on a whiteboard.

Definition
  1. Noun:
    • The 18th letter of the Greek alphabet: "Sigma" is the name of the 18th letter in the Greek alphabet, written as Σ (uppercase) or σ/ς (lowercase). It is used in writing the Greek language and as a symbol in various academic and scientific fields.
Examples of Usage
  • Noun:
    • In the Greek word "σχολή" (school), the first letter is a lowercase sigma.
    • The uppercase sigma (Σ) is often used in mathematics to denote summation.
Advanced Usage
  • Statistics: In statistics, the lowercase sigma (σ) represents the standard deviation of a population, a measure of data dispersion.
    • A low sigma value indicates that the data points are close to the mean.
  • Physics and Engineering: Sigma is used to denote various constants, such as electrical conductivity or surface charge density.
    • The Stefan-Boltzmann constant in physics is represented by the symbol σ.
  • Final Form (ς): In Greek typography, the lowercase sigma has a special form (ς) used only when the letter appears at the end of a word.
    • The word "δός" (give) ends with the final sigma (ς).
Variants and Related Words
  • Six Sigma (n): A set of techniques and tools for process improvement, originally developed in manufacturing.
    • The company implemented Six Sigma methodologies to reduce defects.
Synonyms
  • Greek letter: A general term for any character in the Greek alphabet, of which sigma is one.
Related Phrases
  • Sigma male (n): A modern, informal term from social theory describing a male who is introverted, self-reliant, and operates outside traditional social hierarchies. (Note: This is a compound term using "sigma").
    • The article discussed the archetype of the sigma male in contemporary culture.
sigma

A student writes the Greek letter sigma on a whiteboard.

Noun
  1. the 18th letter of the Greek alphabet