Linear Models

Abstract

Background: To look for a relationship between two varying quantities a common first step is to collect a set of data pairs for the two quantities. Once the data is collected, a scatter plot of the data pairs can be constructed. A scatter plot is simply a graph of points using the data pairs as coordinates. It is natural to ask at this point if there is an equation which explains the appearance of the scatter plot, i.e., an equation whose graph closely matches the scatter plot. This equation is called a mathematical model. Finding such a model allows us to predict the value of one quantity given the corresponding value of the other quantity. It can also yield new insights into the relationship between the quantities. You will find that many of the labs for this course are concerned with the modeling of data.