In mathematics and related areas, a natural parameter or natural parameterization can refer to: The natural parameter of a differentiable curve, its arc length, and the natural parameterization representing points by a function of arc length The natural parameter of an exponential family of probability distributions, the function over which the distribution is exponential The natural parameter in parameterized complexity, describing a computational problem that is parameterized by its output value
See also Natural exponential family, an exponential family whose natural parameter is the identity function Natural parameter continuation, a method for solving nonlinear systems of equations by iterating from solutions on nearby parameter values