Standard error of the estimate
The standard error of the estimate measures how far actual data points typically fall from a fitted regression line, computed from the error sum of squares and used to build prediction intervals and test the slope's significance.
See it move
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Five months of machine hours and maintenance cost produce residuals of €4, −€3, €0, −€7 and €6, squaring and summing to an error sum of squares of 110. With n − 2 = 3 degrees of freedom, the standard error of the estimate is √(110 ÷ 3) = €6.06 — the typical distance between actual cost and the fitted line.
Where it fits
SubjectData Analysis & StatisticsAdvancedTopicSimple Linear Regression & OLSAdvanced
The formula
LaTeX
Variables
- Error sum of squares (squared units of y)
- Number of observations
Estimates the typical distance between actual values and the fitted regression line, using n − 2 degrees of freedom for a simple regression.