Local regression: Difference between revisions

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LOESS and LOWESS thus build on [[classical statistics|"classical" methods]], such as linear and nonlinear [[least squares regression]]. They address situations in which the classical procedures do not perform well or cannot be effectively applied without undue labor. LOESS combines much of the simplicity of linear least squares regression with the flexibility of [[Non-linear regression|nonlinear regression]]. It does this by fitting simple models to localized subsets of the data to build up a function that describes the deterministic part of the variation in the data, point by point. In fact, one of the chief attractions of this method is that the data analyst is not required to specify a global function of any form to fit a model to the data, only to fit segments of the data.
 
The trade-off for these features is increased computation. Because it is so computationally intensive, LOESS would have been practically impossible to use in the era when least squares regression was being developed. Most other modern methods for process modelingmodelling are similar to LOESS in this respect. These methods have been consciously designed to use our current computational ability to the fullest possible advantage to achieve goals not easily achieved by traditional approaches.
 
A smooth curve through a set of data points obtained with this statistical technique is called a ''loess curve'', particularly when each smoothed value is given by a weighted quadratic least squares regression over the span of values of the ''y''-axis [[scattergram]] criterion variable. When each smoothed value is given by a weighted linear least squares regression over the span, this is known as a ''lowess curve.''; howeverHowever, some authorities treat ''lowess'' and loess as synonyms.<ref>Kristen Pavlik, US Environmental Protection Agency, ''[https://19january2021snapshot.epa.gov/sites/static/files/2016-07/documents/loess-lowess.pdf Loess (or Lowess)]'', ''Nutrient Steps'', July 2016.</ref><ref name="NIST"/>
 
==History==