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Best Fit Experimenters (Least Squares)

Provide visual foundation and geometric intuition for best fit (least squares) models of data sets of ordered pairs using lines or parabolas.

Identifier: 
http://mathdemos.org/mathdemos/lsq-demo_new/index_new.html
Subject: 
Rating: 
Average: 4 (2 votes)
Creator(s): 
David Hill
Cataloger: 
David Hill
Publisher: 
Demos with Positive Impact
Rights: 
David Hill
Format Other: 
Excel, MATLAB

Comments

Anonymous's picture

This module is for users to experiment with fitting a line or parabola to a given data set by means of geometric intuition. Six data sets are given. The applet is available both in Excel and MATLAB format. In the Excel applet, users select values of m and b using sliders or data input boxes. The applet plots the data, draws the desired line and computes the sum of squares of deviations. The user can then alter m and b to minimize the sum of squares. The MATLAB applet has users input two points that are supposed to lie on the line, the sum of squares of deviations is again calculated, and the user tries again. Links to other least squares applets are included.
Anonymous's picture

Nicely done.  These applets work well.