vessel, with the characteristically angular beta of the time
Algebraic numerals In the system of
Greek numerals, beta has a value of 2. Such use is denoted by a number mark: Β′.
Computing Finance Beta is used in finance as a measure of investment portfolio risk.
International Phonetic Alphabet In the
International Phonetic Alphabet, Greek minuscule beta denotes a
voiced bilabial fricative . A superscript version may also indicate a
compressed vowel, like .
Meteorology Beta has twice been used to
name an Atlantic Basin
tropical cyclone: •
Hurricane Beta, in
2005 •
Tropical Storm Beta, in
2020 Mathematics and science • Beta is often used to denote a variable in mathematics and physics, where it often has specific meanings for certain applications. • Some uses of beta in math include: • β is sometimes used as a placeholder for an
ordinal number if α is already used. For example, the two roots of a
quadratic equation are typically labelled and . • In
regression analysis, symbolizes nonstandardized partial slope coefficients, whereas represents
standardized (standard deviation-score form) coefficients; in both cases, the coefficients reflect the change in the criterion Y per one-unit change in the value of the associated predictor X. • In statistics, beta may represent
type II error, or
regression slope. •
Dirichlet beta function • Some uses of beta in physics and engineering include: • In spaceflight,
beta angle describes the angle between the orbit plane of a spacecraft or other body and the vector from the sun. • In physics β is used for a
beta particle (an unbound energetic electron or positron). • β is also used for naming in biology. For example, e.g.
β-Carotene, a primary source of
provitamin A;
β cells in
pancreatic islets, which produce
insulin; and
beta sheet, a common motif in protein secondary structure. • The uppercase letter beta is not generally used as a symbol because it tends to be rendered identically to the uppercase
Latin B.
Rock climbing terminology The term "
beta" refers to advice on how to successfully complete a particular climbing route, boulder problem, or crux sequence.
Slang Beta male, or simply
beta, is a slang term for men derived from the designation for beta animals in ethology, along with its counterpart,
alpha male. The term has been used as a pejorative self-identifier among members of
manosphere communities, particularly
incels, who do not believe they are assertive or traditionally
masculine, and feel overlooked by women. It is also used to negatively describe other men who are not assertive, particularly in
heterosexual relationships.
Videotape formats "Beta" can be used to refer to several consumer and professional videotape formats developed by Japan's
Sony Corporation. Although similarly named, they are very different in function and obsolescence. •
Betamax was the name of a domestic videotape format developed in the 1970s and 1980s. It competed with the Video Home System (
VHS) format developed by the
Japanese Victor Company, to which it eventually succumbed. The Betamax format was also marketed
Betacord by (Sanyo); some cassettes were simply labeled "Beta", and the logo was a lower-case beta. Betamax lost in the market and is an oft-used example of a technically superior solution that failed due to market forces. •
Betacam, including Beta SP and DigiBeta, is a family of professional videotape formats launched in 1982 that was the de facto standard for professional video, advertising, and television production through the 2000s. The formats outlasted analog
NTSC television, and their scarcity today is because the industry has moved to
HD formats. == Unicode ==