Final answer:
The statistical variable alpha (a) is related to the confidence level and represents the probability that the confidence interval does not contain the unknown population parameter.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statistical variable alpha (a) is related to the confidence level and represents the probability that the confidence interval does not contain the unknown population parameter. It is commonly denoted as a and is usually set at a specific value, such as 0.05 or 0.01.