There are two primary statistical applications for the regression line. It can be used as a sample-based estimate of an underlying linear functional relationship among the quantities of interest, or it can be employed as a predictive tool. To use the regression line for prediction, which is the most common usage in geology, simply substitute various values of x into the equation y = ax + b and solve for the corresponding predicted values of y. | There are two primary statistical applications for the regression line. It can be used as a sample-based estimate of an underlying linear functional relationship among the quantities of interest, or it can be employed as a predictive tool. To use the regression line for prediction, which is the most common usage in geology, simply substitute various values of x into the equation y = ax + b and solve for the corresponding predicted values of y. |