Multilinear Regression, test for Dependence?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the testing of linear dependence in multilinear regression, specifically whether there are analogous tests to those used in standard linear regression for assessing the relationship between a dependent variable Y and multiple independent variables X1, X2,..., Xn. The conversation includes references to statistical methods and software for regression analysis.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the existence of tests for linear dependence in multilinear regression similar to those in standard linear regression.
  • Another participant suggests that there are multiple resources available for multiple linear regression and mentions the use of statistical software R for regression algorithms.
  • There is a suggestion to use PCA (Principal Component Analysis) to determine the importance of independent variables in predicting Y, followed by a counterpoint that PCA serves a different purpose and may not effectively estimate Y.
  • Repeated references to the stepwise linear regression algorithm and its ability to identify statistically significant independent variables are made, with links provided for further exploration.
  • Participants express uncertainty about the availability of the stepAIC function in R and seek clarification on its accessibility.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that multiple linear regression has established methods for testing relationships, but there is disagreement regarding the appropriateness of PCA for the task of estimating Y. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best approach to determine the significance of independent variables.

Contextual Notes

Some limitations include the potential misunderstanding of PCA's role in regression analysis and the dependence on specific statistical software for implementing the discussed algorithms.

WWGD
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Hi All,
Say we conduct a standard linear regression test of Y (dep) versus X (independent)

Then there are tests to be made on whether there is a linear relationship between Y and X

(with ##H_o ## being that m=0; m is the regression line slope versus ##H_A :m \neq 0 ##)

Is there a similar test for multilinear regression, to determine linear dependence

of Y versus ## X_1, X_2,..,X_n ## ?

Thanks.
 
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Yes. There is a lot available for multiple linear regression. You can test if Y is statistically the entire set of independent variables. You can also use a "stepwise" linear regression algorithm that will only end up with a set / subset of independent variables that are statistically needed for the regression. The statistical software package R is free and has good regression algorithms. ( See stepAIC in http://www.statmethods.net/stats/regression.html ). The algorithm will give you p-values that tell you the statistical significance of the model and the individual variables.
 
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FactChecker said:
Yes. There is a lot available for multiple linear regression. You can test if Y is statistically the entire set of independent variables. You can also use a "stepwise" linear regression algorithm that will only end up with a set / subset of independent variables that are statistically needed for the regression. The statistical software package R is free and has good regression algorithms. ( See stepAIC in http://www.statmethods.net/stats/regression.html ). The algorithm will give you p-values that tell you the statistical significance of the model and the individual variables.

Thanks, do you think PCA would be in order here, to determine which of the ##X_i## have more weight in determining the value of ##Y##?
 
WWGD said:
Thanks, do you think PCA would be in order here, to determine which of the ##X_i## have more weight in determining the value of ##Y##?
No. PCA has a different use. It tries to represent the spread of data the best using fewer dimensions. But it does not single out one variable, Y, to explain, estimate, or predict. In fact, it might give you a linear combination that is very bad at estimating Y. If you want to find the best model for estimating Y = f(X), f linear, then you should use linear regression.
 
FactChecker said:
Yes. There is a lot available for multiple linear regression. You can test if Y is statistically the entire set of independent variables. You can also use a "stepwise" linear regression algorithm that will only end up with a set / subset of independent variables that are statistically needed for the regression. The statistical software package R is free and has good regression algorithms. ( See stepAIC in http://www.statmethods.net/stats/regression.html ). The algorithm will give you p-values that tell you the statistical significance of the model and the individual variables.

Sorry to bother, but I can't find the step AIC. Would you please help?
 
WWGD said:
Sorry to bother, but I can't find the step AIC. Would you please help?
I have actually never used the R version. I assume it is available. Here is a link that makes me believe that: https://stat.ethz.ch/R-manual/R-devel/library/MASS/html/stepAIC.html . I might be wrong. You can Google "stepwise linear regression" for other sources that may be available to you (MATLAB, SAS, SPSS, EXCEL add-in, etc).
 

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