Beta in LaTeX (\beta)

Where it is used

Lowercase Greek beta, standard for regression coefficients, angles, and the second parameter of a distribution.

Regression models write y = \beta_0 + \beta_1 x + \varepsilon, and \hat{\beta} marks the estimated coefficients. In hypothesis testing \beta is the Type II error rate, so power is 1 - \beta. Physics uses it for v/c in relativity and for inverse temperature \beta = 1/(k_B T). Finance uses a stock's beta against the market. No \Beta command exists since capital beta looks like Latin B. The German sharp s, ß, is a different character written \ss and should not be substituted for \beta.

Minimal compilable example

Paste this into an empty .tex file and compile it with pdfLaTeX, XeLaTeX or LuaLaTeX.

\documentclass{article}
\begin{document}
Beta: $\beta$

\[ y_i = \beta_0 + \beta_1 x_i + \varepsilon_i \]
\end{document}

Related symbols

• Gamma\gamma
• Alpha\alpha
• Gamma (Upper)\Gamma
• Delta\delta
• Delta (Upper)\Delta
• Epsilon\epsilon

Frequently asked questions

How do I write Beta in LaTeX?

Type \beta in math mode, for example $y_i = \beta_0 + \beta_1 x_i + \varepsilon_i$. It works in plain LaTeX without loading any package.

Which package do I need for \beta?

None. \beta is part of standard LaTeX, so it compiles with nothing in the preamble but the document class.

Can I use \beta in text mode, or only in math mode?

Only in math mode. Outside $...$ LaTeX stops with "Missing $ inserted", so write $\beta$ in running text. If you only need the glyph in text, paste the Unicode character β instead (with XeLaTeX or LuaLaTeX and a font that has it).