Mean Squared Deviation (MSD)


Mean squared deviation is a formula that provides insight into how any system deviates from expectations.

  • aka mean squared error
  • takes the square of the errors or deviations from expected/desired outcomes
  • formula:
    • is the actual value
    • is the target value
  • commonly used in many engineering disciplines
  • the metric is a positive integer
  • interpreting:
    • closer to zero the MSD is, the more reliable the system is
  • can sometimes take the square root of MSD to get the root mean squared deviation
    • provides a metric of the impact an incident had on a given system
    • How far did the system deviate from the norm?