Dreifingar

Dreifingar is an Icelandic term that translates roughly to distributions or dispersions in English. It is used across several disciplines to describe how something is spread, allocated, or arranged over space, time, or categories. In statistics and probability, dreifingar refer to probability distributions, which assign probabilities to the possible values of a random variable and thus describe the variable’s spread and shape. They can be discrete or continuous and are analyzed through elements such as probability density functions, probability mass functions, cumulative distribution functions, and moments like the mean and variance.

In practice, dreifingar provide a compact summary of data and underpin many models. Common examples include normal (Gaussian) dreifing, binomial dreifing, and Poisson dreifing. Each has characteristic parameters that influence location (central tendency) and spread (dispersion).

Outside pure statistics, the term is also used for the spatial or demographic distribution of phenomena—such as population density, resource allocation, or ecological dispersal of seeds. In economics and social science, dreifingar describe the distribution of income, wealth, or other attributes within a population, highlighting inequality or concentration.

Etymology: the verb dreifa means to distribute or scatter, and dreifingar is the plural noun for distributions.

See also: probability distribution, dispersion, statistical modeling.