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How do I decide which variables to remove from my curve fitting model?

You decide which variables to remove by examining their p-values. If a predictor variable has a p-value greater than a chosen significance level (commonly 0.05), it is considered not statistically significant. Such variables can be removed from the model to simplify it without losing predictive power.

Conditions

  • Significance level is typically set to 0.05.
  • The model includes multiple predictor variables with associated p-values.

Reasoning, step by step

  1. Identify the p-value for each predictor variable in the fitted model.
  2. Compare each p-value to the significance threshold (e.g., 0.05).
  3. If the p-value is greater than the threshold, conclude that the variable is not statistically significant.
  4. Remove the insignificant variable from the model to simplify it.

Example

The table displays the header 'p-value' and the value '0.32' for the 'Wind Shear' predictor. The speaker states, "its p-value is far above 0.05. So we can say with certainty that wind shear does not have a statistical significance on the power output, and we can axe it from our model."

Common misconceptions

  • Removing variables based solely on visual inspection of their curves without checking statistical significance.
  • Assuming a p-value slightly above 0.05 always justifies removal without considering the specific context or required precision.

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