Definition of "alpha"

Similarly, alphas are 2.33% larger than that of the equivalent monthly alphas using compounded returns while no changes can be found using arithmetic returns.

2001, Cheng-Few Lee, editor, Advances in Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management, volume 8, Elsevier, page 174

To investment professionals, “alpha” is the return over and above the market return. If in a given year the S. & P. 500 returns fifteen per cent and an equity-fund manager generates a return of twenty per cent, his alpha is five per cent.

2011 July 18, John Cassidy, “Mastering the Machine”, in The New Yorker‎

Being a beta male in a species with alphas doesn't mean you have to sit out the mating game.

2008, Faye Flam, The Score: How the Quest for Sex Has Shaped the Modern Man‎, Avery, published 2008

I'm still turned on by alpha males. I think there are only a couple of other men that turn me on . . ones that are clearly not alphas.

2008, Mitzi Szereto, editor, The New Black Lace Book of Women's Sexual Fantasies, Black Lace, page 38

This book is primarily for alpha males, or “top dogs.” We'll talk more about that later; but let's just say that if you are a man and successful in the world of trade, business, or profession, most likely you are an alpha, or you have been trained to act like an alpha.

2009, Martin G. Groder, Pat Webster, Winning at Love: The Alpha Male's Guide to Relationship Success‎, Bascom Hill Books, page ix

We will assume you got the .tgz version—later 2.x series versions such as 2.5.2 or 2.6.0 should be okay, provided they are production releases (not alphas, betas, or release candidates).

2007, Mark Summerfield, Rapid GUI Programming with Python and Qt: The Definitive Guide to PyQt Programming‎, Pearson Education

Sometimes the alphas and omegas are rare, sometimes they are only males, sometimes they have altered sex organs.

2013, Kristina Busse, “Pon Farr, Mpreg, Bonds, and the Rise of the Omegaverse”, in Anne Jamison, editor, Fic: Why Fanfiction Is Taking Over the World, page 317

Sherlock realizes that John, despite being an alpha, sees and loves Sherlock for who he is, "a brilliant, mad, nutter of a man," instead of only wanting him for his reproductive functions, his ability to become pregnant.

2017, Marianne Gunderson, "What is an omega? Rewriting sex and gender in omegaverse fanfiction", thesis submitted to the University of Oslo, page 11

Contrary to the typical scenario expected in a dark A/B/O story, in this story both Hannibal and Will are alphas—but Hannibal wants Will to be his omega; subservient and submissive to him only.

2018, Laura Campillo Arnaiz, “When the Omega Empath Met the Alpha Doctor: An Analysis of Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics in the Hannibal Fandom”, in Ashton Spacey, editor, The Darker Side of Slash Fan Fiction, page 130

And thank you. Seriously. I'll call you later.You better. I'm feeling pretty alpha now.Yes, you are.

2015, Life Is Strange, Square Enix