When no exact solution exists for an overdetermined system, the normal equations A^TA x-hat = A^Tb minimize the sum of squared errors.
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Overdetermined fit and the squared error
Turn the points , , and the line into three equations, write , and , and name the quantity being minimised.
The normal equations
Compute and for this example, solve the resulting two equations by elimination and back substitution, and carry it through to .
The calculus route to the same system
Write , set and , and match the two equations against the ones above.
Sensitivity to outliers
Record the effect one far-off data point has on the fitted line once its error is squared, name such points outliers, and note that alternative methods exist.