kumulativ

Kumulativ is an adjective used in several Scandinavian languages to describe quantities or effects that accumulate over time or through successive additions. It conveys the idea of a running total that grows as more data, events, or measurements are added. The concept appears across science, statistics and everyday usage.

In statistics, kumulativ commonly refers to functions or summaries that aggregate information up to a given point. The cumulative distribution function describes the probability that a random variable takes a value at or below a threshold. Cumulative counts or frequencies tally observations up to each point, providing a running view of the data.

In data analysis and quality control, kumulativ methods track running totals of deviations or measurements. The cumulative sum, or CUSUM, charts form the basis of detecting gradual shifts or trends in processes by accumulating deviations from a target over time.

In epidemiology and finance, kumulativ measures emphasize total impact over a period, such as cumulative incidence of a disease or cumulative returns on an investment. These metrics convey exposure or performance across a span of time rather than at a single moment.

Etymology traces kumulativ to Latin cumulativus, with cognates in related languages, reflecting the sense of accumulation. The term functions as a direct or near-direct loan in Scandinavian usage, aligning with its core meaning of adding up over time.

Related concepts include cumulative distribution function, cumulative sum, CUSUM, cumulative incidence and other forms of aggregation that describe totals rather than instantaneous values.