What Does Parameter Mean?

Parameter has different meanings with relation to its usage in different contexts. In statistics, a parameter is a quantity like a variance, median or a mean that is computed from a data to represent a population. A parameter can also be one of a set of factors like pressure and temperature which determine the behaviour of a system through experimentation.

A parameter is also a quantity or number on which some other quantity or number is dependant. For example, when we say" Depending on the workload, I can take about fifteen minutes to reach home." Through this sentence, we understand that the "workload" is the parameter or the deciding factor which determines the time taken to reach home.

In the world of computer, a parameter symbolises a variable value. The parameters have a tendency to change every time a program is run. The world of mathematics defines a parameter as a constant in the equation of a curve that can be varied to give a field of similar curves. Parameter is used increasingly as a jargon to mean "criterion" or any factor that decides on an extension or limitation of a performance of a particular system. Parameter can also mean a distinguishing feature or a characteristic.