The least squares method of finding a formula for a straight line
A) produces a slope and an intercept
B) makes the error in prediction a minimal amount
C) was championed by Karl Pearson
D) all of the other alternatives are correct.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The least squares method is a statistical technique used to determine the best-fitting line through a set of points by minimizing the sum of the squares of the vertical distances (errors) of the points from the line. This method indeed produces a slope and an intercept for the line (A), aims to make the error in prediction minimal (B), and while it was developed by Adrien-Marie Legendre and Carl Friedrich Gauss, Karl Pearson, a key figure in the development of statistics, did extensive work that relied on and promoted the use of the least squares method, making all the given alternatives correct in the context of the least squares method's applications and history.

The Least Squares Method of Finding a Formula for a Straight