Mathematics Commons^™

Reduced Major Axis Regression: Teaching Alternatives To Least Squares, William V. Harper

Mathematics Faculty Scholarship

The theoretical underpinnings of standard least squares regression analysis are based on the assumption that the independent variable (often thought of as x) is measured without error as a design variable. The dependent variable (often labeled y) is modeled as having uncertainty or error. Both independent and dependent measurements may have multiple sources of error. Thus the underlying least squares regression assumptions can be violated. Reduced Major Axis (RMA) regression is specifically formulated to handle errors in both the x and y variables. It is an excellent topic to teach students the importance of understanding the assumptions underlying the statistical …