Our data approach an asymptote, which helps us choose a nonlinear function from the catalog below. Further, because nonlinear regression uses an iterative algorithm to find the best solution, you might need to provide the starting values for all of the parameters in the function. You can use that to help pick the function. Most statistical software packages that perform nonlinear regression have a catalog of nonlinear functions. In fact, there are so many possible functions that the trick becomes finding the function that best fits the particular curve in your data. It provides more flexibility in fitting curves because you can choose from a broad range of nonlinear functions. Nonlinear regression is a very powerful alternative to linear regression. Related post: Using Log-Log Plots to Determine Whether Size Matters Curve Fitting with Nonlinear Regression Let’s switch gears and try a nonlinear regression model. So far, we’ve performed curve fitting using only linear models. The model with the quadratic reciprocal term continues to provide the best fit. Additionally, the S and R-squared values are very similar to that model. Like the first quadratic model we fit, the semi-log model provides a biased fit to the data points. In the fitted line plot below, I transformed the independent variable. Let’s see how a semi-log model fits our data! A semi-log model can fit curves that flatten as the independent variable increases. If you use this approach, you’ll need to do some investigation. Choosing between a double-log and a semi-log model depends on your data and subject area. There are too many possibilities to cover them all. Using log transformations is a powerful method to fit curves. If you take logs on the independent variable side of the model, it can be for all or a subset of the variables. Or, you can use a semi-log form which is where you take the log of only one side. Your model can take logs on both sides of the equation, which is the double-log form shown above. This model provides the best fit to the data so far! Curve Fitting with Log Functions in Linear RegressionĪ log transformation allows linear models to fit curves that are otherwise possible only with nonlinear regression.įor instance, you can express the nonlinear function: It also doesn’t display biased fitted values. On the fitted line plots, the quadratic reciprocal model has a higher R-squared value (good) and a lower S-value (good) than the quadratic model. Clearly, the green data points are closer to the quadratic line. To show the natural scale of the data, I created the scatterplot below using the regression equations. The plots change the x-axis scale to 1/Input, which makes it difficult to see the natural curve in the data. I fit a model with a linear reciprocal term (top) and another with a quadratic reciprocal term (bottom).įor our example dataset, the quadratic reciprocal model provides a much better fit to the curvature. In the data set, I created a column for 1/Input (InvInput). Let’s try curve fitting with a reciprocal term. There appears to be an asymptote near 20. X cannot equal zero for this type of model because you can’t divide by zero.įor our data, the increases in Output flatten out as the Input increases. In other words, as X increases, the effect of this term decreases, and the slope flattens. The value of this term decreases as the independent variable (X) increases because it is in the denominator. Use a reciprocal term when the effect of an independent variable decreases as its value increases. When your dependent variable descends to a floor or ascends to a ceiling (i.e., approaches an asymptote), you can try curve fitting using a reciprocal of an independent variable (1/X). Curve Fitting using Reciprocal Terms in Linear Regression When you use polynomial terms, consider standardizing your continuous independent variables. In practice, cubic terms are very rare, and I’ve never seen quartic terms or higher. For example, quadratic terms model one bend while cubic terms model two. Take the number of bends in your curve and add one for the model order that you need. To determine the correct polynomial term to include, simply count the number of bends in the line. Polynomial terms are independent variables that you raise to a power, such as squared or cubed terms. The most common method is to include polynomial terms in the linear model. Curve Fitting using Polynomial Terms in Linear Regressionĭespite its name, you can fit curves using linear regression. You can download the CSV dataset for these examples: CurveFittingExample. We need to produce accurate predictions of the output for any specified input. Let’s assume that these data are from a physical process with very precise measurements. To compare curve fitting methods, I’ll fit models to the curve in the fitted line plot above because it is not an easy fit.
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