Sample Variance Symbol s²

s² is the character examined on this page. Its formal identity is LATIN SMALL LETTER S + SUPERSCRIPT TWO (U+0073 U+00B2), while the page title describes the notation or lookup intent that brings users here. Sample variance is written s², combining lowercase s with superscript two. It is not the population variance σ². Typical copy-and-paste checks can start with Sample variance: s² = 4.0, then If s = 2, then s² = 4, followed by Population variance: σ². These strings also make font or encoding problems easier to notice. Three failure modes deserve attention: calling s² the sample standard deviation; using σ² for a sample without defining the convention; and dropping the squared unit from a variance value. A visual match is not enough when the underlying character differs. The formatting checklist emphasizes state whether the variance is a sample or population quantity, use s² with the estimator definition used by the analysis, and report squared measurement units when applicable. Literal UTF-8 text is usually preferable, although s ² is available for HTML source. The formula and denominator must be stated; many introductory definitions use n−1 for the usual unbiased sample-variance estimator. Because fonts can vary, test s² in the destination document, browser, and assistive-technology workflow. Preserve the character identity U+0073 U+00B2 and add explanatory text whenever the audience may not know the notation.