How is the average system load displayed over a certain period?

The system load average is displayed as three numbers, showing the average number of processes waiting for execution over the last 1, 5, and 15 minutes. For example, in Linux, the uptime or top command shows these values. They reflect how many processes, on average, were in the queue for the CPU or in a running state during those intervals. This helps understand how loaded the system is in the short and medium term.