Alpha (symbol in science)

In scientific contexts, "alpha" can refer to various concepts depending on the field. In physics, it often denotes alpha particles, which are positively charged particles emitted during radioactive decay. In finance, alpha refers to an investment's performance relative to a benchmark, indicating how much better or worse it performed. In statistics, alpha signifies the threshold for significance in hypothesis testing, commonly set at 0.05, which helps determine if results are likely due to chance. Overall, "alpha" represents an important measure or quantity in different scientific and analytical disciplines.