ANALYSIS OF BIOMEDICAL DATA BY TIME-SHARING COMPUTERS. I. NON-LINEAR REGRESSION ANALYSIS.

摘要

Analysis of biomedical data frequently involves obtaining a mathematical equation to describe numerical data. Because of the nature of biological systems,the desired equations are often not linear. In the past,such non-linear systems were often avoided because mathematical methods for analyzing them were tedious and,occasionally,quite imprecise. Modern computers have made such systems far easier to work with. The publication describes a program for obtaining these non-linear 'regression'equations. The program described has a number of advantageous properties: (1) it can be used for almost any type of equation,including exponential,logarithmic,and power functions; (2) it is written in the BASIC program language,which can be learned by a person without computer knowledge in only a few hours; (3) it is designed for time-sharing computers,so that the user may readily interact with the computer and modify the equations being used at will;and (4) the output of the program includes sufficient statistical parameters to enable further evaluation of the results. In addition to giving the program,the publication gives full instructions on its use,suggestions for modifying the program for additional applications,and several illustrative examples.