Gamma: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 03:36, 13 February 2025

Gamma[edit]

Gamma (uppercase _, lowercase _; Greek: _____) is the third letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 3. It was derived from the Phoenician letter gimel, which means "camel".

History[edit]

The letter gamma was adopted into the Greek alphabet from the Phoenician letter gimel. The shape of the letter has evolved over time, but it has consistently represented the same sound, a voiced velar plosive /_/ in Ancient Greek.

Usage in Greek[edit]

In Modern Greek, gamma represents a voiced palatal fricative /_/ before front vowels (e.g., /e/ and /i/) and a voiced velar fricative /_/ elsewhere. It is also used in digraphs to represent other sounds, such as /_/ in the digraph __.

Usage in Science and Mathematics[edit]

Gamma is used in various scientific and mathematical contexts:

In physics, gamma rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation with a very short wavelength.
In mathematics, the gamma function is an extension of the factorial function to complex numbers.
In statistics, the gamma distribution is a two-parameter family of continuous probability distributions.

Related Letters and Symbols[edit]

The Latin alphabet letter C was derived from gamma.
The Cyrillic alphabet letter _ is also derived from gamma.

Related Pages[edit]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-'''Gamma''' is a term used in various fields such as physics, mathematics, and medicine. In the context of medicine, gamma refers to a type of radiation used in various diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
+== Gamma ==
-==Physics==
+[[File:NAMA_Alphabet_grec.jpg|thumb|right|The Greek alphabet, with Gamma highlighted.]]
-In physics, gamma ([[Gamma (physics)|gamma]]) refers to a type of high-energy radiation that is emitted by certain types of radioactive substances. Gamma rays have the smallest wavelengths and the most energy of any other wave in the electromagnetic spectrum. They are produced by the hottest and most energetic objects in the universe, such as neutron stars and pulsars, supernova explosions, and regions around black holes.
-==Mathematics==
+'''Gamma''' (uppercase _, lowercase _; Greek: _____) is the third letter of the [[Greek alphabet]]. In the system of [[Greek numerals]], it has a value of 3. It was derived from the [[Phoenician alphabet|Phoenician letter]] gimel, which means "camel".
-In mathematics, the term gamma ([[Gamma (mathematics)|gamma]]) is used to denote a specific function, known as the gamma function. This function is used in various areas of mathematics, including calculus, complex analysis, and number theory.
-==Medicine==
+== History ==
-In medicine, gamma ([[Gamma (medicine)|gamma]]) refers to a type of radiation used in various diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. For example, gamma rays are used in gamma knife surgery, a type of radiation therapy that focuses high-powered gamma rays on a small area of the brain. Gamma rays are also used in diagnostic imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET) scans.
-==Gamma Knife Surgery==
+The letter gamma was adopted into the Greek alphabet from the Phoenician letter gimel. The shape of the letter has evolved over time, but it has consistently represented the same sound, a voiced velar plosive /_/ in Ancient Greek.
-[[Gamma Knife Surgery|Gamma Knife Surgery]] is a type of radiation therapy used to treat brain tumors and other brain disorders. It uses focused gamma rays to destroy diseased tissue while sparing the surrounding healthy tissue.
-==Positron Emission Tomography==
+== Usage in Greek ==
-[[Positron Emission Tomography|Positron Emission Tomography]] (PET) is a type of imaging test that uses a radioactive substance called a tracer to look for disease in the body. It uses gamma rays to create detailed images of the inside of the body.
-==See Also==
+In [[Modern Greek]], gamma represents a voiced palatal fricative /_/ before front vowels (e.g., /e/ and /i/) and a voiced velar fricative /_/ elsewhere. It is also used in digraphs to represent other sounds, such as /_/ in the digraph __.
-* [[Radiation]]
-* [[Radiation Therapy]]
-* [[Diagnostic Imaging]]
-[[Category:Physics]]
+== Usage in Science and Mathematics ==
-[[Category:Mathematics]]
-[[Category:Medicine]]
-[[Category:Radiation Therapy]]
-[[Category:Diagnostic Imaging]]
-{{stub}}
+Gamma is used in various scientific and mathematical contexts:
-{{dictionary-stub1}}
+* In [[physics]], gamma rays are a form of electromagnetic radiation with a very short wavelength.
+* In [[mathematics]], the gamma function is an extension of the factorial function to complex numbers.
+* In [[statistics]], the gamma distribution is a two-parameter family of continuous probability distributions.
+== Related Letters and Symbols ==
+* The [[Latin alphabet]] letter C was derived from gamma.
+* The [[Cyrillic alphabet]] letter _ is also derived from gamma.
+== Related Pages ==
+* [[Greek alphabet]]
+* [[Phoenician alphabet]]
+* [[Gamma rays]]
+* [[Gamma function]]
+[[Category:Greek alphabet]]