Beta

Beta (pronunciation: ['beːta], reconstructed Ancient Greek pronunciation: [bɛːta], Modern Greek pronunciation: ['vita], Greek neuter Βήτα, majuscule Β, minuscule β, in the middle of the word also ϐ) is the second letter of the Greek alphabet and has the number value 2 according to the Milesian system. In Ancient Greek it had the sound value [b], in Modern Greek the letter is called víta and pronounced [v]. In the Cyrillic alphabet, therefore, both the letter Бб for the sound [b] and the letter Вв for the sound [v] developed from beta. Its Latin equivalent is the B.

Usage

• In the International Phonetic Alphabet, the small beta [β] denotes the voiced bilabial fricative.
• In physics, beta radiation is a form of ionizing radiation (cf. radioactivity).
• In relativity, β is the velocity in fractions of the speed of light (β=v/c).
• In software development, a beta version is a preliminary version on which tests (also called beta testing) can be performed before it goes on sale.
• In finance, the beta factor refers to the systematic risk of a security or portfolio.
• In stochastics, a beta distribution is a continuous probability distribution.
• In regression analytic procedures, betas denote standardized b weights.
• The Beta Angle is used in space travel.
• In chemistry, β is the formula symbol for mass concentration.
• Beta is a pure object-oriented programming language from Scandinavia.