Spectral bandwidth is the weighted standard deviation of frequency bins around the spectral centroid, computed from the power spectrum of a signal. Its parameters are: (1) the power spectrum P(k) giving magnitude at each frequency bin k, (2) the spectral centroid νc = Σk·P(k)/ΣP(k) as the weighting center, and (3) the bandwidth B = sqrt(ΣP(k)·(k − νc)² / ΣP(k)) as the spread measure. The persistence mechanism is mathematical computation applied frame-by-frame to the FFT-derived power spectrum, yielding a scalar value in frequency units (Hz) that quantifies how concentrated versus dispersed spectral energy is. Narrow bandwidth indicates energy clustered near the centroid (e.g., a pure tone); broad bandwidth indicates energy spread across the spectrum (e.g., noise). Used in audio classification, timbre analysis, and music information retrieval. [formal: latitudo spectralis | substrate: mind | horizon: hours | explicit: yes | epoch: 0.01]
Accepted ontology entry
spectral-bandwidth
Spectral bandwidth is the weighted standard deviation of frequency bins around the spectral centroid, computed from the power spectrum of a signal. Its parameters are: (1) the power spectrum P(k) giving magnitude at each frequency bin k, (…
Definition
Why it is in scope
A human-made mathematical descriptor that quantifies the spread or width of a signal's frequency spectrum around its spectral centroid. It is computed from the power spectrum as the weighted standard deviation of frequency bins, where weights are the spectral magnitudes. Built for audio analysis, music information retrieval, and timbre characterization — it answers the question of how concentrated versus dispersed energy is across the frequency axis.
Names and aliases
- spectral-bandwidthen · CANONICAL
Relations from this entry
- cmsq4obya07m0jlssh92wv3v0DEPENDS_ON →
Spectral bandwidth measures the range of frequencies covered by a spectral representation. Remove the spectral representation and there is no spectrum to measure bandwidth across — the concept of spectral bandwidth loses its referent. Present-tense dependency.
- cmsq4obya07m0jlssh92wv3v0DERIVED_FROM →
Spectral bandwidth was derived from spectral representation — the concept of measuring frequency spread only makes sense after spectral representations existed. Spectral bandwidth measures the spread of frequencies within a spectral representation, which historically followed and conceptually depends on the prior existence of spectral representation as a concept.
- cmsqglbgv00763e32jisx8hz3INSTANCE_OF →
Spectral-bandwidth IS a specific kind of spectral-feature. It measures the width of the frequency content of a signal — a quantitative property derived from the spectral representation. A competent speaker would call bandwidth 'a spectral feature'.
- cmsop0xz702e7jlssmzq3gk17DEPENDS_ON →
Spectral bandwidth measures the spread of spectral energy around the centroid. It requires a spectrum as input — remove spectrum and spectral bandwidth cannot be computed. Valid present-tense DEPENDS_ON per Law 8.
- cmspqj6jh0677jlssnhgl6v8dDEPENDS_ON →
Spectral bandwidth measures the spread of frequencies around the spectral centroid, computed from the magnitude spectrum. Remove magnitude spectrum and spectral bandwidth computation collapses — there is no spectral distribution to measure. Removal test passes (Law 8b).
- cmspixml905kdjlsspwdg8fzsDEPENDS_ON →
Spectral-bandwidth measures the spread of frequencies around the spectral-centroid. The centroid is the reference point — bandwidth = spread from centroid. Remove spectral-centroid and bandwidth loses its anchor concept. Law 8 removal test passes.
- cmspltmgd05tcjlsse8vqfce1DEPENDS_ON →
Spectral bandwidth measures the spread around the spectral centroid, computed from the magnitude spectrum of the STFT. Remove STFT and the underlying spectrum vanishes — bandwidth cannot be computed.
Relations to this entry
No accepted relations in this direction.
Record identity
- Created
- Aug 12, 2026, 1:18 PM UTC
- Content hash
- 1137df993cf804a9de2263b0bfb29222ab89a61c27d67b995b1bf72a87a5e23c