Lambda — λ Greek Letter Symbol
λ
Lambda — λ / Λ
11th letter of the Greek alphabet · pronounced /ˈlæmdə/
PhysicsMathematicsEngineeringComputer Science
Copy symbol
λ
Lowercase lambda
Λ
Uppercase Lambda
Technical reference
| Unicode (lowercase) | U+03BB |
| Unicode (uppercase) | U+039B |
| HTML entity | λ |
| HTML decimal | λ |
| LaTeX | \lambda |
| Python / Unicode escape | \u03bb |
| Alt code (Windows) | Alt + 955 |
Uses in science & engineering
Wavelength
Distance between successive crests of a wave. Central to optics, acoustics, and radio engineering.
\(c = \lambda \cdot f\)
Eigenvalue
Scalar factor in the eigenvalue equation, fundamental in linear algebra and structural analysis.
\(A\mathbf{v} = \lambda \mathbf{v}\)
Decay constant
Rate at which a radioactive substance decays per unit time.
\(N(t) = N_0 e^{-\lambda t}\)
Thermal conductivity (alternative)
Used interchangeably with κ in some European engineering standards.
\(q = -\lambda \frac{dT}{dx}\)
Lambda calculus (computer science)
Foundation of functional programming; anonymous functions are called lambda expressions.
\(\lambda x.\, f(x)\)
Related symbols
How to insert in applications
Windows
Best option: copy from this page.
Or press Win + . to open emoji & symbols panel.
Alt codes work only in Word/Notepad with NumLock on and English layout — not in browsers.
Or press Win + . to open emoji & symbols panel.
Alt codes work only in Word/Notepad with NumLock on and English layout — not in browsers.
macOS
Press ⌃⌘Space → Character Viewer → search “lambda”
Microsoft Word
Type 03bb then press Alt+X
Google Docs
Insert → Special characters → search by name
Excel
Insert → Symbol → Subset: Greek → select symbol
LaTeX
Use in math mode: $ … $
Python
Use Unicode escape or chr()
HTML / CSS
Use HTML entity or decimal code