Fitting Equations to Data
Fitting an equation to data is the process of finding a linear, quadratic, exponential, or any other sort of function whose graph includes, or comes as close as possible to, a given set of data in the form of ordered pairs.
The relative predictive power of a model shows how accurately the model is related to the data.
Example :
Plot the set of data points below. Determine whether to use a linear , quadratic , or exponential regression equation. Find the regression equation and graph it.
Solution
Enter the and -coordinates in your calculator and plot the points.
The points seem to approach -axis asymptotically. So, we assume an exponential model.
Use your calculator to determine the equation of the exponential regression of the points plotted.
The equation of the function is .
Graph the function with the equation .