correlation (redirected from correlate)

correlation

In statistics, the degree of association between two random variables. The correlation between the graphs of two data sets is the degree to which they resemble each other. However, correlation is not the same as causation, and even a very close correlation may be no more than a coincidence. Mathematically, a correlation is expressed by a correlation coefficient that ranges from −1 (never occur together), through 0 (absolutely independent), to 1 (always occur together).

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In statistics, a measure of the strength of the relationship between two variables. It is used to predict the value of one variable given the value of the other. For example, a correlation might relate distance from urban location to gasoline consumption. Expressed on a scale from -1.0 to +1.0, the strongest correlations are at both extremes and provide the best predictions. See regression analysis.