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

Example Sentences

Army Medical Research and Material Command, involved the use of advanced MRI scans called diffusion tensor imaging and diffusion kurtosis tensor imaging to look at changes in the brain's white matter.

From Washington Post

An even more advanced technique developed by Helpern and researcher Jens Jensen at New York University School of Medicine, diffusional kurtosis imaging, uses mathematical formulas to yield more detailed information about the diffusing water.

From US News