momenti

Momenti is the plural of the Italian noun momento. In Italian, momento primarily means a point in time or a brief instance, and the plural can denote multiple such points or, more broadly, notable occasions or turning points. The term appears in everyday language as well as in technical contexts.

In mathematics and statistics, moments are a formal set of quantities that describe distributions or quantities. For a random variable X, the k-th moment can be defined as E[X^k] (raw moment) or E[(X−μ)^k] (central moment, where μ is the mean). The first moment equals the mean; the second central moment equals the variance; higher moments describe distribution shape features such as skewness and kurtosis.

In physics and engineering, moment also refers to quantities expressing a turning tendency, such as torque, the moment of a force about a point (the cross product r × F). Angular momentum is a related concept often described as a moment of momentum in certain contexts. Moments are routinely used in analyses of forces, rotations, and stability.

Originating from Latin momentum, the Italian word entered technical vocabulary through science and engineering, retaining both time- and quantity-related senses. See also Moment (disambiguation).