Skewness

Skewness is a term used in statistics to describe the asymmetry of a probability distribution from its mean. Pronounced as /ˈskjuːnɪs/, the term originates from the early 19th century, derived from the word 'skew' which means 'to incline or turn from a direct line or course'.

Definition

In statistics, skewness is a measure of the asymmetry of the probability distribution of a real-valued random variable about its mean. The skewness value can be positive, zero, negative, or undefined.

Types of Skewness

There are two types of skewness: Positive Skewness and Negative Skewness. Positive skewness indicates that the tail on the right side of the probability density function is longer or fatter than the left side. Negative skewness, on the other hand, indicates that the tail on the left side is longer or fatter than the right side.

Calculation

The formula to calculate skewness is given by the third standardized moment, that is, the third moment (about the mean) divided by the standard deviation cubed.

Related Terms

• Kurtosis
• Standard Deviation
• Mean
• Variance
• Probability Distribution

See Also

• Pearson's First Coefficient of Skewness
• Pearson's Second Coefficient of Skewness

External links

• Medical encyclopedia article on Skewness
• Wikipedia's article - Skewness

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