errorfunction
nounUK /ˈerə ˈfʌŋkʃən/
US /ˈerər ˈfʌŋkʃən/
A special math helper that tells you how likely a random result is to fall within a certain range.
Scientists use the error function to describe how heat spreads through a metal bar.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A mathematical function used in probability and statistics to describe the normal distribution.
The error function appears in the formula for the cumulative distribution of a normal random variable.
3. A function that measures how much a computed value differs from an exact value.
The engineer plotted the error function to see how the approximation drifted over time.
4. In signal processing, a function describing the shape of a smoothed step or pulse.
The filter's response follows an error function curve.