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least squares

   Also found in: Medical, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.03 sec.
least squares
pl.n. Statistics
A method of determining the curve that best describes the relationship between expected and observed sets of data by minimizing the sums of the squares of deviation between observed and expected values.
least squares
n
(Mathematics) a method for determining the best value of an unknown quantity relating one or more sets of observations or measurements, esp to find a curve that best fits a set of data. It states that the sum of the squares of the deviations of the experimentally determined value from its optimum value should be a minimum
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.least squares - 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
method of least squares
statistics - a branch of applied mathematics concerned with the collection and interpretation of quantitative data and the use of probability theory to estimate population parameters
statistical method, statistical procedure - a method of analyzing or representing statistical data; a procedure for calculating a statistic


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? Mentioned in ? References in periodicals archive
 
And this was regarded in astronomical circles as little short of a miracle, such that Gauss became famous overnight and his principle of least squares came to be one of the most important tools in further scientific discoveries.
Dissecting a breakthrough: the unexpected importance of basic ... by Hauptman, Herbert A. / The Humanist
Occasionally some advanced topics, such as ordinary least squares regression, are introduced without enough preparatory information.
Rafael J. Engel and Russell K. Schutt, The Practice of Research in ... by Cohen, Edward / Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare
In an ordinary least squares regression analysis that controlled only for demographic characteristics, the higher the sexual media diet score, the more precoital behaviors black teenagers reported at follow-up.
Sex in the media: links to behavior differ between white and black ... by Hollander, D., / Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health
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