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In mathematics, a function is a rule for taking an input (in the simplest case, a number or set of numbers) [5] and providing an output (which may also be a number). [5] A symbol that stands for an arbitrary input is called an independent variable, while a symbol that stands for an arbitrary output is called a dependent variable. [6]
The change in one or more independent variables is generally hypothesized to result in a change in one or more dependent variables, also referred to as "output variables" or "response variables." The experimental design may also identify control variables that must be held constant to prevent external factors from affecting the results.
What follows does not necessarily assume the convention whereby denotes an independent variable, and denotes a function of the independent variable . Instead, y {\displaystyle y} and f ( y ) {\displaystyle f(y)} denote two quantities with an a priori unknown causal relationship, which can be related by a mathematical expression.
A variable omitted from the model may have a relationship with both the dependent variable and one or more of the independent variables (causing omitted-variable bias). [3] An irrelevant variable may be included in the model (although this does not create bias, it involves overfitting and so can lead to poor predictive performance).
Judea Pearl defines a causal model as an ordered triple ,, , where U is a set of exogenous variables whose values are determined by factors outside the model; V is a set of endogenous variables whose values are determined by factors within the model; and E is a set of structural equations that express the value of each endogenous variable as a function of the values of the other variables in U ...
Simple mediation model. The independent variable causes the mediator variable; the mediator variable causes the dependent variable. In statistics, a mediation model seeks to identify and explain the mechanism or process that underlies an observed relationship between an independent variable and a dependent variable via the inclusion of a third hypothetical variable, known as a mediator ...
For example, if an outdoor experiment were to be conducted to compare how different wing designs of a paper airplane (the independent variable) affect how far it can fly (the dependent variable), one would want to ensure that the experiment is conducted at times when the weather is the same, because one would not want weather to affect the ...
In statistics, nonlinear regression is a form of regression analysis in which observational data are modeled by a function which is a nonlinear combination of the model parameters and depends on one or more independent variables. The data are fitted by a method of successive approximations (iterations).