This article covers meaning & overview of Simple Linear Regression Model from statistical perspective.
A simple linear regression model establishes the relationship between the independent variable and dependent variable as a straight line.
Simple linear regression model serves two purposes:
1. It describes the linear dependence of one variable on another
2. It can predict values of one variable from values of another based on historical relationship between independent and dependent variable.
Mathematically the simple linear regression model can be defined as,
For a given a set of n points (Xi,Yi)
Find the best fit line Ŷi = aX + b, such that the sum of squared errors in Y, ∑ (Yi – Ŷi)2 is minimized
Where, Yi= actual value and Ŷi= Predicted value
b=slope of the line = Co-variance(X, Y)/Variance (X)
Example: Let’s look at the data of sales and advertising spend of company ABC for past 5 years. We will try to find relation between Advertising budget and sales, if any.
Year |
Advertising spend |
Sales |
1 |
Rs 150000 |
Rs 4000000 |
2 |
Rs 200000 |
Rs 5500000 |
3 |
Rs 165000 |
Rs 4300000 |
4 |
Rs 120000 |
Rs 3300000 |
5 |
Rs 180000 |
Rs 5100000 |
A scatter plot is drawn for the available data. If the straight line is drawn such that line has the smallest possible set of distances between itself and each data point, then that line become linear regression line.
As we can see from the plot, there is a strong relation between advertising spending and sales achieved.
The simple linear regression model can be expressed by straight line equation as follows,
Y = 0.973X + 206386
Where, Y= Sales and X= Advertising spend
Hence, this concludes the definition of Simple Linear Regression Model along with its overview.
This article has been researched & authored by the Business Concepts Team which comprises of MBA students, management professionals, and industry experts. It has been reviewed & published by the MBA Skool Team. The content on MBA Skool has been created for educational & academic purpose only.
Browse the definition and meaning of more similar terms. The Management Dictionary covers over 1800 business concepts from 5 categories.
Continue Reading:
What is MBA Skool?About Us
MBA Skool is a Knowledge Resource for Management Students, Aspirants & Professionals.
Business Courses
Quizzes & Skills
Quizzes test your expertise in business and Skill tests evaluate your management traits
Related Content
All Business Sections
Write for Us