least squares

American

noun

Statistics.

a method of estimating values from a set of observations by minimizing the sum of the squares of the differences between the observations and the values to be found.

least squares British

noun

a method for determining the best value of an unknown quantity relating one or more sets of observations or measurements, esp to find a curve that best fits a set of data. It states that the sum of the squares of the deviations of the experimentally determined value from its optimum value should be a minimum

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of least squares

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

least squares

The algorithm evolved beyond the conventional least squares method and helped devise a neural circuit model optimized for energy efficiency over diverse walking speeds.

From Science Daily ● Jan. 22, 2024

Does the least squares line give an accurate estimate for that year?

From Textbooks ● Sep. 19, 2013

Use the least squares line to estimate the area of a new state that enters the Union.

From Textbooks ● Sep. 19, 2013

Does the least squares line give an accurate estimate of height?

From Textbooks ● Sep. 19, 2013

An equation of this form is obtained from each observation, and the method of least squares is then applied to determine the most probable values of x and y.

From A Study of Recent Earthquakes by Charles Davison

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023