What is a grouping factor?

[paalfis]

I am staring a course in graphical modelling, and I have no idea what this is.

For example, if I is a fixed grouping factor, and Y is a response, then it is natural to examine the densities f_Y/I (y/i) for each level i of I.

Thanks!

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Thanks for the post! Sorry you aren't generating responses at the moment. Do you have any further information, come to any new conclusions or is it possible to reword the post?

 

[HallsofIvy]

I don't believe that has anything to do with probability or statistics. My understanding of "grouping factor" in computer graphics is that the "grouping factor" for a collection of objects is a single number that measures the overall distance between the objects. There are a number of different ways of finding that. One is to take the distance from the "center" of the group to the object most distance from that center.

 

[Stephen Tashi]

Maybe it's this subject: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphical_model The terminology in specialized applications of that sort isn't widely known in the general mathematical community. Paalfis should give a link to material that defines the terms - or else get lucky and attract the attention of a specialist.

 

[blue_raver22]

A grouping factor is a variable that is used to divide a dataset into distinct groups or categories. In graphical modelling, it is often used to analyze how different factors or variables may affect a response variable. In your example, I is the grouping factor and Y is the response variable. By examining the densities of Y for each level of I, you can see how the groups differ in terms of their impact on the response variable. This can help you understand the relationship between the grouping factor and the response variable and potentially identify any patterns or trends. Overall, a grouping factor is an important tool in statistical analysis that allows for a more thorough understanding of the data.