Autocorrelation is the correlation between two observations at different points in a time series. For example, values that are separated by an interval might have a strong positive or negative correlation. When these correlations are present, they indicate that past values influence the current value. Analysts use the autocorrelation and partial autocorrelation functions to understand the properties of time series data, fit the appropriate models, and make forecasts. [Read more…] about Autocorrelation and Partial Autocorrelation in Time Series Data
Time Series
Exponential Smoothing for Time Series Forecasting
Exponential smoothing is a forecasting method for univariate time series data. This method produces forecasts that are weighted averages of past observations where the weights of older observations exponentially decrease. Forms of exponential smoothing extend the analysis to model data with trends and seasonal components. [Read more…] about Exponential Smoothing for Time Series Forecasting
Using Moving Averages to Smooth Time Series Data
Moving averages can smooth time series data, reveal underlying trends, and identify components for use in statistical modeling. Smoothing is the process of removing random variations that appear as coarseness in a plot of raw time series data. It reduces the noise to emphasize the signal that can contain trends and cycles. Analysts also refer to the smoothing process as filtering the data. [Read more…] about Using Moving Averages to Smooth Time Series Data
Time Series Analysis Introduction
Time series analysis tracks characteristics of a process at regular time intervals. It’s a fundamental method for understanding how a metric changes over time and forecasting future values. Analysts use time series methods in a wide variety of contexts. [Read more…] about Time Series Analysis Introduction