Curve Fitting
The mathematical construction of a function that best matches a set of experimental data points according to statistical criteria.
Governing formula
Minimizing χ² = ∑ ((y_i - f(x_i, θ)) / σ_i)²
SI unit
Goodness of Fit χ²
In depth
Determines model parameters θ by minimizing the sum of squared residual deviations (least-squares method) weighted by experimental measurement uncertainties σ_i.
Examples in the real world
Fitting linear Hubble law velocity-distance data to extract the Hubble constant H₀.