My Mathematical Mind

The last few weeks, I have started to really see different things I’m studying come together in a way that lights the path to my future.  I’m taking econometrics, which is using statistics to measure changes in multiple variables, while holding other variables constant.  It’s based in matrix algebra.  I’m learning that too, though my class is called linear algebra, and I’m in calculus II.  Since econometrics is so important to my grad school ambitions, it’s exciting that the picture is coming into focus.  So today, I was in lecture and the prof. brought up this point about graphing error terms in the multiple regression model.  I noticed that the graph she used was parametric and asked about it later, which clearly impressed her.  She asked if I was in higher level-math.   

 Parametric equations are hard to explain, even for a textbook, but it’s as though you make the x and y terms into their own equations and then find a relationship for them. 

Anyway, the same thing happened last week, when my prof. was explaining the vectors/matrices of the regression model, and I realized the importance of linear independence to the model.  Linear independence means that the columns/rows are a not functions of other rows.

It’s exciting to see it coming together, like my world is lit a little brighter.  Cheers!