Definition

1. Noun:
   • A statistical technique for curve fitting: The method of least squares is a standard approach in regression analysis. It determines the best-fitting line or curve to a set of data points by minimizing the sum of the squares of the vertical distances (residuals) between the observed values and the values predicted by the model.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The researcher used the method of least squares to find the linear trend in the experimental data.
  • To estimate the parameters of the model, we apply the method of least squares.

Advanced Usage

• "Ordinary least squares (OLS)": This is the most common application of the method of least squares for linear regression, where the goal is to minimize the sum of squared residuals.
  • The OLS estimator is derived directly from the method of least squares.
• "Applying the principle of least squares": Refers to using the core idea of minimizing the sum of squared errors.
  • The algorithm works by applying the principle of least squares to iteratively improve the fit.

Variants and Related Words

• Least squares estimation (n): The process of calculating parameter estimates using the method of least squares.
  • The results of the least squares estimation were highly significant.
• Least squares regression (n): A type of regression analysis that employs the method of least squares.
  • A least squares regression line was fitted to the scatterplot.

Synonyms

• Least squares approximation: Emphasizes the aspect of finding an approximate model that fits the data.
• Least squares fitting: Focuses on the action of fitting a curve to data using this principle.

Related Concepts (Not Phrasal Verbs or Idioms)

• Residual: The difference between an observed value and the value predicted by the model. The method minimizes the sum of the squares of these residuals.
• Sum of squared errors (SSE): The quantity that the method of least squares aims to minimize.
• Regression line: The line of best fit produced by applying the method of least squares to linear data.

Noun

1. a method of fitting a curve to data points so as to minimize the sum of the squares of the distances of the points from the curve