least squares
plural noun
: a method of fitting a curve to a set of points representing statistical data in such a way that the sum of the squares of the distances of the points from the curve is a minimum
Examples of least squares in a Sentence
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The reductions reported were the improvements seen in treatment groups compared to placebo (the least squares mean difference), meaning that patients on CPL’36 saw this degree of symptom improvement beyond what placebo patients experienced.
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New Atlas, 16 Mar. 2025
Finally, delays are determined online by time-shifting a measured signal and a reference signal, and minimizing the least squares error with the time-shift as parameter.
—Erico Guizzo, IEEE Spectrum, 5 Oct. 2018
Regression through the origin with phylogenetically independent contrasts...which is equivalent to phylogenetic generalized least squares (PGLS) analysis, accounts for the nonindependence of species and indicates no overall evolutionary relationship between the traits...
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 27 Aug. 2010
Surely someone has done a phylogenetic least squares with a lot of different clades and checked for this?
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 5 May 2011
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New Atlas, 16 Mar. 2025
Finally, delays are determined online by time-shifting a measured signal and a reference signal, and minimizing the least squares error with the time-shift as parameter.
—Erico Guizzo, IEEE Spectrum, 5 Oct. 2018
Regression through the origin with phylogenetically independent contrasts...which is equivalent to phylogenetic generalized least squares (PGLS) analysis, accounts for the nonindependence of species and indicates no overall evolutionary relationship between the traits...
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 27 Aug. 2010
Surely someone has done a phylogenetic least squares with a lot of different clades and checked for this?
—Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 5 May 2011
Cite this Entry
“Least squares.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/least%20squares. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
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