Fitting Equations to Data

This class introduces regression analysis as a means for building models that describe how variation in one set of measurements affects variation in another. The simplest of these models are linear relationships. In models having a linear structure, the slope of the fitted line is crucial; it quantifies how variation in one variable (the predictor or covariate) translates into variation in the other (the response). The slope helps us interpret how variation in the predictor affects variation in the response.