ferdeség

Ferdeség is a Hungarian noun meaning the state or property of being inclined, slanted, or biased. The word derives from ferde, meaning slanted. In mathematics, physics and engineering, ferdeség describes the inclination of an object, surface, or quantity relative to a reference orientation. For a straight line, ferdeség denotes the angle between the line and a chosen axis; for a plane, it refers to the tilt (dip) relative to a horizontal plane. The quantity is usually expressed in degrees or radians; a ferdeség of zero indicates alignment with the reference orientation, while larger values indicate greater tilt.

In geology and civil engineering, ferdeség is used to describe the tilt of layers, faults, or terrain features. It affects stability, drainage, and construction design and is considered alongside related concepts such as slope, dip, and strike in describing the geometry of surfaces.

In statistics, ferdeség translates to skewness, a measure of asymmetry in a probability distribution. A symmetric distribution has ferdeség zero; positive ferdeség indicates a longer tail on the right, negative ferdeség a longer tail on the left. It is a dimensionless quantity calculated from standardized moments; common sample estimators and tests are used in data analysis and model diagnostics.

Ferdeség is thus a versatile term with several domain-specific meanings centered on deviation from a baseline orientation.